• The work of Pablo Picasso can be viewed in the city of São Paulo from 22 May until 14 August 2016.
• Entitled “Picasso: Erudite Hand, Wild Eye”, the exhibition features 116 works by the artist, the vast majority unseen in Brazil, and 37 by other artists with a connection to the Spanish painter.

Abertis is once again bringing Spanish artists to Brazil via its Brazilian subsidiary Arteris. Following exhibitions of the works of Dalí and Miró, the company is sponsoring the biggest Pablo Picasso retrospective in the last years that travels to the city of São Paulo.

The Pablo Picasso exhibition, loaned by the Musée National Picasso in Paris, is entitled “Picasso: Erudite Hand, Wild Eye” and will be open to the public from 22 May until 14 August 2016. The show, which is being staged at the Instituto Tomie Ohtake in São Paulo, features select works kept by Picasso, which indicates that they hold a very special meaning for the artist.

The presentation of the exhibition was attended by David Díaz, Chief Executive Officer of Arteris; Ricardo Ohtake, president of the Instituto Tomie Ohtake; Manuel de la Cámara, Spain’s ambassador to Brazil; and Sergi Loughney, Director of Institutional Relations and CSR of Abertis; together with high representatives from the Picasso museums in Paris and Barcelona. David Díaz emphasised the significance of this exhibition, which follows major shows of the works of Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró en Brazil, in enhancing the reputation of Arteris-Abertis and demonstrating the Group’s long-term commitment to the South America country beyond the various economic cycles.

The Spanish ambassador gave the Commander of the Order of Isabella the Catholic medal to Ricardo Ohtake, president of the Instituto Tomie Ohtake, for his commitment and drive at the head of the centre, which has resulted in a wide-ranging partnership with Arteris-Abertis and Spain’s public institutions in Brazil and the organisation of three world class exhibitions (Dalí 2014, Miró 2015 and Picasso 2016) which have increased knowledge of Spain and its contemporary art in the country.

The retrospective

The exhibition contains 153 works, most of which are being shown on Brazilian soil for the first time. 116 are by the Spanish painter – 34 paintings, 42 drawings, 20 sculptures and 20 engravings -. Films and audiovisual material on the works and creative processes of the Malaga-born artist will also be presented, along with a series of 22 photographs of Picasso, taken by André Villers (22 images), Dora Maar (12), and Pirre Manciet (3).

The exhibition highlights the artist’s special relationship with his own works, which are exhibited chronologically in ten themed sections based on the artist’s various periods, from his formative years until his last days: “The first Picasso. Formation and Influences”; “Exorcist Picasso. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon”; “Cubist Picasso. The violin”; “Classic Picasso. The mask of antiquity”; “Surrealist Picasso. The Swimmers”; “Guernica Picasso”; “Picasso in the resistance. Interiors”; “Multiple Picasso. The joy of experimentation”; “Picasso working. The mystery of Picasso”; and “The final Picasso: the triumph of desire”.

After its exhibition in São Paulo, the retrospective will be seen in Rio de Janeiro in August. Afterwards, it will be moving to Chile, also with the support of Abertis.

Abertis’ commitment to culture

Abertis, via the Abertis Foundation and its subsidiaries, has sponsored a number of important cultural exhibitions in recent years. These include the major Dalí retrospective, which broke visitor records in the cities where it was shown (namely París, Madrid, Río de Janeiro and São Paulo). This was the first Salvador Dalí retrospective to make the journey to Latin America and the most visited in the artist’s history.

In 2015, Abertis, via its French subsidiary Sanef, was the lead sponsor of the retrospective of the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez at the Grand Palais de Paris which became the cultural event of the year with an average of 5000 visitors daily. Also in 2015, the Group brought the work of Joan Miró to the cities of São Paulo and Florianópolis, an exhibition that broke records in the latter city in the state of Santa Caterina.

Abertis is currently sponsoring an exhibition of the work of the Cuban artist Wifredo Lam, which will be staged at the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid this spring.

Another historic milestone in Abertis’ association with the art world was achieved in 2007, when the company acquired through transfer Pablo Picasso’s 1937 work Woman in Hat and Fur Collar (Marie-Thérèse Walter). This oil painting is currently on display at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) in Barcelona.

These partnerships provide further evidence of Abertis’ commitment to culture, collaborating with the most important cultural institutions of the countries where the Group is present with the aim of bringing culture to the general public and supporting public administrations in this endeavour. Cultural sponsorship is at the heart of Abertis’ Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility Plan, in which the company regards culture as an asset that enriches individuals and enhances life quality.

Press release