"Picasso used say that Málaga should have the most beautiful museum works"
Christine Ruíz Picasso, 1994

Picasso retuns to Málaga one hundred and twenty-two years after his birth in the Plaza de la Merced. The Picasso Museum, Málaga is now complete. It represents a milestone in the city´s history that would not have been possible to achieve without the efforts of two menbers of the artist´s family, Christine and Bernard Ruíz-Picasso and without the firm backing of the Andalusian council.
The beginnings of this new building go back to the year 1992. That year, Christine, Paulo´s wife, Paulo being Picasso´s eldest son, gave her full backing to making Málaga the location of the "Classic Picasso" exhibition, one of the most valuable on the painter to be held in Spain. Two years later, in 1994, Christine Ruíz Picasso took another step, offering her personal collection for exhibition, in Málaga once again. This was the "Picasso: a first look" exhibition.
These exhibitions were organised under the direction of Carmen Giménez and were sponsored by the Andalusian council. Despite the succes of both, it was still necessary to match Christine and Bernard´s desire to make a significant donation of Picasso works with a suitable place to house and display them.
The council reacted quickly, managing to reciprocate such a generous gesture by setting out a project enterprising enough for what the situation required.
Christine Ruíz Picasso took charge of the initiative in these first stages of the project. She would later be joined by her son, the artist´s grandson, Bernard. The current councillor for culture in the Andalusian council, Carmen Calvo, saw to the ardous political, legal, administrative and economic side which has made the Picasso Museum, Málaga a reality.

THECOLLECTION
In today's market, acquiring a decent set of "Picassos" is only possible for the very few. It has become the utopian goal of governments, businesses and individuals. He is the highest-
earning artist of the 20th century. For this reason, the donation by his family has been of fundamental importance to a project which would not otherwise exist.
After long and complicated negotiations with them, an agreement was reached to consign 204 first-class pieces of the formidable legacy to the museum. A great part of this can be considered a pure donation.
Christine Ruíz-Picasso is offering 133 works (14 oil paintings, 9 sculptures, 44 drawings, a sketchbook of the Royan series with another 36 drawings, 58 engravings and 7 ceramic pieces). Bernard Ruíz-Picasso is donating 22 works ( 5 oil paintings, 2 drawings, 10 engravings and 5 ceramics). Another 49 works make up the total, agreed on with these same family members, to be leased without charge to the museum for an extendable period of ten years (23 oil paintings, 2 sculptures, 7 drawings, 5 engravings and 12 ceramics).

Although a figure for this set of Picasso works would be subject to huge variations, the prestigious auctioneers Sotheby's have a made a report that estimates it at around 176 million euro. In any case, even if someone did have this millionaire sum, it's worth pointing out that nobody could acquire a collection such as will be on display in the Picasso Museum, Málaga. This is for the simple reason that one can only buy what is for sale and, of this size and of this nature, there is nothing remotely similar on the international market. For this agreement to work well, two foundations have been created, each with a different trust, whose mission it will be to ensure that the wishes expressed by the donors will be respected. One foundation owns the collection and the other the building that protects it, both being responsible for ensuring Picasso's work be conserved, exhibited, studied and transmitted according to the conditions agreed on by the signatories.
These are some of the works that will be on display in the various exhibitions rooms:

"Spanish girl mantilla". La Coruña, 1884. - "Olga Kokhlova with mantilla". Summer Autumn. Barcelona, 1917. - "Mother and child". 1921-1922. - "Portrait of Paulo with white hat". París, 1923. - "Bust of woman with arms crossed behind her head" Royan, 1939. - "Woman sitting in an armchair". 1946. - "Skull and three hedgehogs". París, 1947. - "Jacqueline sitting". París, 1954. - "Bather". Mougins, 1971. - "The eyes of the artist". París, 1947. - "Bather playing". Cannes, 1958.

THE MUSEUM
The Andalusian council acquired the Palacio de los Condes de Buenavista to house the exhibition. An historic building, it symbolises Andalusian civil architecture of the 16th Century, in which renaissance and Mudejar elements mixed.
Buil by Diego de Cazalla, who paid for the royal fleets, between 1516 and 1542, the Buenavista was declared a national monument in 1939. This palace is without doubt ideally located right in the historic centre of the city of Málaga, in the area known as the Judería.
The choise of this building for the museum was determined by the express wish of the principal donor, Christine Ruíz Picasso, that a model Andalusian palace be found.
As the donation was so vast, both in terms of the number of works and of their quality, and as it was planned to provide the new institution with the services and assign in the functions of a modern museum (library, documentation centre, auditorium, education department, offices, etc.) an extension was immediately decided on.
In oder to do this those in charge of each of the fundations considered it necessary to acquire several adjacent spaces, convert them and integrate them into the complex. These acquisitions have indirectly helped to preserve the ancient architectural fabric of the museum's surroundings. The council has acquired as many as 15 houses from the Judería for renovation and conversion. A set of new buildings have also been erected to serve as rooms for temporary exhibitions, a restoration workshop, a bookshop and some of the offices.
With these additions, the total suface area of the Picasso Museum, Málaga will be some 8.300 square metres.

THE OBJECTIVES
The mission of the new building is to fulfil Picasso's dream of having his own museum in his home town and also to highlight the origin and Andalusian character of the genius and return his cosmopolitan oeuvre to his native soil. The Picasso Museum, Málaga was conceived as a centre for culture, society and debate.

To achieve this aim, a detailed action plan has been set out, to be completed in the years following the museum's official inauguration. Along with the exhibition of its permanent collection, the directors have prepared and enterprising programme of temporary exhibitions which will mainly deal with themes and aspects of the world of Picasso and his contemporaries, ensuring that these have an original angle on and contribute to a better understanding of his work. Thanks to these exhibitions, the visitor will discover the roots, influences and creative ruptures that made Picasso the most influential painter of the last century.
As forerunners to this enterprising programme, we can mention two of the exhibitions coming up shortly. They are "The Picasso of the Picassos" and "Picasso, La Sagrada Familia".
Apart from this programme of temporary exhibitions, other concurrent initiatives are being planned such as seasons of conferences, seminars, courses, research projects, teaching activities and everything in general that makes a real contribution to making the new Museum a vibrant institution and not just a storage building for art works.

THE SURROUNDINGS
Almost 30 million euros have been spent on improvements to area surrounding the Picasso Museum, Málaga. Málaga Council, the Andalusian Council and individuals have defrayed this costly but necessary work.
Buildings, frontages and commercial premises have benefited from the arrival of the museum. An Andalusian Council delegation's "Quality with Art Plan" has given official assistance to businesses in the area (cafés, restaurants, shops.) to cope with the new demand the museum will bring. It is estimated that between seven hundred thousand and eight hundred thousand more people will be walking through these streets after.
For its part, the local council has spent 7.5 million euros on bulding renovation, expropriation and urban restructuring. It has also spent 1.2 million euros on the area considered to be on the museum itinerary which links the main tourist attractions.
The pedestrianisation of Calle Alcazabilla will link the future Picasso museum to the roman thetre archaeological site, the Alcazaba and the Aduana building, as well as the historic centre and the Cathedral, putting it at the centre of the city's tourist itinerary.
Picasso has returned to Málaga. He has come back thanks to many people's work and belief. Thanks are also due to his family who always believed Picasso should be here. The Picasso Museum will change Málaga. It has done so already. But it will change even more.
The mark Picasso has made on art is so indelible, so universal, that no one will be able to escape its effects.