The exhibition, open daily from 10.00 to 21.00, is structured into seven sections: six are at the Palacio Episcopal (Bishop’s Palace) and one at Malaga Cathedral, which includes the choir stalls, made by Pedro de Mena.
Unicaja Banco shows its support to culture with the sponsorship of this exhibition, which will be accompanied by a cycle of lectures and concerts called ‘The afternoons of Pedro de Mena’.
Unicaja Banco is one of the sponsors of the exhibition ‘Pedro de Mena, Granatensis Malacae’, organized from 16 March to 14 July by the Diocese of Malaga. With a total of 63 pieces, which can be visited at the art center of the Palacio Episcopal (Bishop’s Palace), it is the largest exhibition dedicated entirely to this sculptor, a reference of the 17th century religious imagery.
With the sponsorship of this exhibition, Unicaja Banco shows its support to culture and, especially, to museums which reinforce the past history of the place where they are located. In fact, the bank contributes too to the commemoration this year of the fifth anniversary of the Palacio Episcopal de Malaga, since it re-opened managed by the Bishopric.
The interest of this exhibition, curated by José Luis Romero Torres and presented today at a press conference, lies in three arguments: the recent contributions about this Granada sculptor, who, for 30 years, developed his artistic work in Malaga, city where he died and where he produced many sculpture works; the interest of Anglo-Saxon countries for his work, and the long time passed since the only exhibition dedicated to Pedro de Mena and his artistic background.
The works of this exhibition are placed in iconographic sections as a reflection of religious devotions to which the sculptor contributed with new interpretations. In particular, it is structured into seven sections: six at the Palacio Episcopal and one at the Cathedral, including the choir stalls, made by the sculptor between 1658 and 1660.
Among the exhibited works, there are pieces received from all over Spain, such as the Penitent Mary Magdalene and Saint Francis of Assisi, from the Toledo Cathedral. Additionally, around 25 sculptures have been restored for this exhibit, reinforcing their value and showing their original features.
The exhibition increases its interest due to the recent contributions about this author which have fostered researches such as the one carried out by Lázaro Gila Medina at the University of Granada (2007), and the first monograph in English, published by the curator, José Luis Romero Torres (2014). In recent years, the prestige of his work in Anglo-Saxon countries has raised, as reflected by the acquisition of Mena’s works by museum centers as The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York or The San Diego Museum of Art.
The organization of this exhibition was a demand of society, as the only one about Pedro de Mena and his artistic background was held at the Cathedral of Malaga more than 30 years ago, also promoted by the Malaga Bishopric.
Schedule and lectures
The exhibition can be visited daily from 10.00 to 21.00. The price of the general ticket is six euros, and four for the residents in Malaga province, groups and reduced ticket fees.
Together with the exhibition, a cycle of lectures and conferences called ‘The afternoons of Pedro de Mena’ will be organized. Speakers include Lázaro Gil Medina, professor of Art History at the University of Granada, José Luis Romero Torres, Art historian and conservator of the Heritage of the Junta de Andalucía; Juan Antonio Sánchez López, professor of Art History at the University of Malaga; Reyes Escalera Pérez, associate professor of Art History at the University of Malaga, and Manuel García Luque, Art historian at the University of Granada.
