Picasso and Koons at the Alhambra in Granada

The Alhambra in Granada becomes until March the scene of a meeting between Pablo Picasso and Jeff Koons . The project 'Reflexos. Picasso/Koons in the Alhambra', combines tradition and avant-garde and is a tribute to artistic inspiration throughout the centuries. Their works establish a dialogue between themselves and at the same time with the historical environment of the Palace of Charles V and with the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts of Granada .

The exhibition brings together five pieces—two by Picasso and three by Koons—that examine how classical and contemporary art intertwine to reformulate concepts of beauty, harmony and symbolism. This initiative, promoted by the Picasso Museum Malaga in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Sports and FABA , aims to show Picasso's work in emblematic places in Andalusia and bring his legacy closer to environments of great cultural significance.

'Three Graces', Jeff Koons (2016-2022). © Jeff Koons

The exhibition focuses on the myth of the Three Graces, an archetype of beauty and generosity since Antiquity. This group of female figures, a symbol of the fertility of nature and divine grace, has been reinterpreted over the centuries and is now receiving a new look. In the courtyard of the Palau de Carlos V, Koons presents a contemporary reinterpretation of this classic with his sculpture 'Three Graces', made of polished stainless steel. At the same time, inside the museum, Picasso's 'The Three Graces' offer a radically different look, reconfiguring the canon of classical beauty with his characteristic style. This piece is accompanied by another work by the Malaga artist, 'Cabeza con casco', which highlights his fascination with Antiquity and sculptural forms.

In the same space, there are two works from Koons' Gazing Ball series - 'David Intervention of the Sabine Women' and 'Standing Woman' - which incorporate reflective glass spheres, characteristic elements of Koons' work, and which make the viewer a participant in the piece.

This exhibition, curated by Miguel López-Remiro , artistic director of the Picasso Museum in Malaga, and Ricardo Tenorio , director of the Museum of Fine Arts in Granada, aims to redefine the role of the contemporary museum as an open space, a meeting place between eras, styles and perspectives. Beyond Picasso and Koons, the room at the Museum of Fine Arts, where their works are shown, is in itself a journey through a crucial moment in the history of art, from the last manifestations of late Gothic to the beginnings of Baroque.

'Las tres gracias', Pablo Picasso (1923). © Sucesión Pablo Picasso, VEGAP, Madrid, 2024