The Málaga City Council has sealed an agreement with the Texan city of Round Rock to open a space for the Picasso Birthplace Museum at the City Arts Center, featuring annual exhibitions and a €50,000 investment per show.
The Picasso Birthplace Museum will have a permanent presence in Texas. The Málaga City Council and the city of Round Rock, located 30 kilometers from Austin, have signed a letter of intent to create an exhibition space under the name 'Birthing Picasso' at the City Arts Center, a building set to open in early 2026.
The space will coexist with Málaga House, an initiative by the Texas-European Chamber of Commerce focused on technological and business exchanges between Texas and Málaga. The agreement includes an initial collaboration of five years, which can be extended, to organise two annual exhibitions funded by the Málaga museum.
An Agreement with the Texan Community
The mayor of Málaga, Francisco de la Torre, presented the agreement alongside the Councillor for Culture, Mariana Pineda; the director of the Public Agency for the management of the Birthplace House, Luis Lafuente; and the president of the Texas-European Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Eduardo Galindo, leading a delegation of 15 representatives from Texas who will remain in the capital until this Thursday.
During the event, a video message from the mayor of Round Rock, Craig Morgan, was projected. The initiative, announced during the South by Southwest 2026, aims to establish a direct cultural connection between Texas and Málaga, with the collaboration of the Málaga native Francisco Sánchez Guitard, a liaison with the Picasso Birthplace Museum.
First Exhibition: 'Dialogues with Picasso'
The first planned exhibition, titled 'Dialogues with Picasso', will be curated by Mario Virgilio Montañez and will bring together nearly fifty works on paper by Pablo Picasso alongside pieces from contemporary artists in the collection of the Birthplace Museum. The city of Round Rock has expressed interest in inaugurating it on November 5.
In addition to the exhibitions, the project includes lectures, workshops, and educational activities, consolidating a space for ongoing cultural exchange. The Texan side will cover transportation, insurance, and travel costs, along with a contribution of €50,000 per show.
For the people of Málaga, this agreement represents an international projection of Picasso's legacy and an opportunity for the city's art to cross borders. The Birthplace Museum, located in Plaza de la Merced, will continue its usual activities, but now its influence will also reach Texas, where visitors to the City Arts Center will be able to enjoy original works by the Málaga genius.
The news has been well received in the local cultural sphere, which sees this initiative as a further step in the strategy for the internationalisation of the Málaga brand. The agreement, which is part of the institutional relations between both cities, strengthens ties with the Texan community and opens the door to future collaborations.
You may also like
