Reflections. Picasso/Koons at the Alhambra skilfully brings together five works – two by Pablo Picasso and three by Jeff Koons – in the Palace of Charles V and the museum’s permanent collection, establishing a dynamic conversation between past and present. Inside the grounds of the Alhambra the timeless beauty of the works of Picasso and Koons will enlighten visitors on the continuity and transformation of artistic inspiration, offering a unique perspective on the dialogue between tradition and modernity.

The courtyard of the Palace of Charles V will house Jeff Koons’s The Three Graces (2016–22), a modern creation made of polished stainless steel with a transparent coating, which provides a bold contrast and updated interpretation of classical themes. Inside the Museo de Bellas Artes de Granada, Pablo Picasso’s The Three Graces (1923), a personal reflection on this classical canon of beauty, and Head with Helmet (1933), a striking bronze sculpture by the Málaga artist, provide a narrative context for the Spanish artistic heritage on display in this room. They are accompanied in this space by two pieces by Koons from his Gazing Ball series (2015–16), merging the historical with the contemporary.

From left to right: Miguel López-Remiro, artistic director of the MPM; José M. Domínguez, president of the Fundación Unicaja; Macarena O’Neill, deputy minister for culture and sport, Junta de Andalucía; Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, president of the executive board of the MPM and copresident of the Fundación Almine y Bernard Ruiz-Picasso (FABA) and Rodrigo Ruiz-Jiménez, director general of the board of trustees of the Alhambra and Generalife © Museo Picasso Málaga

Miguel López-Remiro, the artistic director of the MPM, explained that ‘the twenty-first century museum is an extended space where art transcends boundaries and enters into dialogue with multiple contexts, a museum conceived as a public square, a meeting place and a place for the future. The Reflections. Picasso project is part of this vision, seeking to expand the presence of the Museo Picasso Málaga discontinuously in collaboration with landmark spaces in Andalusia, giving rise to new opportunities for understanding Picasso’s oeuvre. Reflections. Picasso / Koons at the Alhambra, which marks the start of this project, offers a perspective on the relationship between the work of Pablo Picasso and that of Jeff Koons in the context of the Palace of Charles V, the collection of the Museo de Bellas Artes de Granada, and the unique setting of the Alhambra, encouraging viewers to reflect in depth on the intersection between tradition, avant-garde and the present day’.

In addition, on the afternoon of 17 December, during the opening of Reflections. Picasso/Koons at the Alhambra, a public conversation will take place between Jeff Koons and the art historian Joachim Pissarro, great-grandson of the artist Camille Pissarro, on the influence of Picasso.

Reflections. Picasso/Koons at the Alhambra is a project designed and developed by the Fundación Almine y Bernard Ruiz-Picasso with the collaboration of Studio Jeff Koons. The show is curated by Miguel López-Remiro, artistic director of the Museo Picasso Málaga, together with Ricardo Tenorio, director of the Museo de Bellas Artes de Granada. This exhibition is supported by the regional ministry of culture and sport, the board of trustees of the Alhambra and Generalife and the Museo de Bellas Artes de Granada. All these institutions wish to thank the Fundación Unicaja for sponsoring this project.

This new agreement strengthens the existing collaboration between the Museo Picasso Málaga and the Fundación Unicaja, which takes the form of supporting the museum’s most recent exhibitions, María Blanchard. A Painter in spite of Cubism y Picasso Sculptor. Matter and Body, giving impetus to research into the artist’s oeuvre and fostering cultural programmes such as Reflections Picasso that promote the dissemination of the artist’s legacy.