The Art Newspaper

Truce called in battle over Granada art centre

New arrangement allows over 60 paintings loaned by family of late artist José Guerrero to remain at museum

By Gareth Harris. Web only
Published online: 20 January 2011

Spanish abstract artist José Guerrero

Granada. A truce has been called in the battle over the Centro Guerrero in Granada with the creation of a new government-led foundation set to oversee the venue. The new arrangement means that over 60 paintings first loaned by the family of the late artist José Guerrero in 1999 to the Diputación (provincial government) of Granada will remain at the museum indefinitely.

Previous attempts at securing the centre’s future have, however, ended acrimoniously; in 2009 the artist’s children, Tony and Lisa Guerrero, threatened to withdraw the loaned works when the Diputación approved a resolution that absorbed the Centro Guerrero after ten years of independence, under the auspices of a new Fundación Granadina de Arte Contemporáneo (The Art Newspaper, August 2009, p20).

Yolanda Romero, a spokeswoman for the Guerrero Centre, told The Art Newspaper that she is “very satisfied” with the outcome as the board of the new organisation will include representatives of the Junta (autonomous government) of Andalucia, the Spanish ministry of culture and the Diputación of Granada, along with art scholars and independent experts.

“Under the previous [foundation] initiative, the work of Guerrero was incorporated into an ill-defined collection of contemporary art with a strong local character,” said Romero. “The foundation trustees were also very political. This new structure is geared towards the independent management of the centre and is not so political.”

“Now we must determine a timetable for completing the process and work out a number of technical issues,” said Paulino Plata, the Andalucian government minister for culture. The extension period for the loan of the Guerrero items was unspecified.