The exhibition titled Picasso and Miró: The Flesh and the Spirit held recently at the Grandmaster’s Palace in Valletta was a huge success for Malta with over 70,000 visitors.

This exhibition offered the first international presentation of 144 works by these two famous 20th century artists. Organised by Fundación MAPFRE in collaboration with the Office of the President of Malta and Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, the exhibition contributed to the image of Valletta as European Cultural Capital 2018 from a cultural, educational and recreational perspective.

The exhibition was part of the cultural event Picasso-Mediterranean, led by the Musée national Picasso-Paris. Around 60 cultural institutions from across Europe have joined forces for this initiative.

While Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) co-founded Cubism, the precursor of all the other avant-garde movements, Joan Miró (1893-1983) was involved in the creation of Surrealism.

This landmark exhibition was one of the most well attended exhibitions in Malta in recent times. Accompanying the exhibition was a full programme of events organised by Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, which included daily free guided tours as well as children’s workshops focusing on Picasso and print, and Miró and sculpture.

For those who missed the exhibition, a detailed and illustrated catalogue is available for sale from MAPFRE Middlesea’s regional offices in Floriana, Birkirkara and Luqa, and from Agenda Bookshops.