Ximo Michavila. Centenary (1926-2026)

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Works: De Horizonte (ca. 1988), Estela (ca. 1988), Extramuros (1990-1991), Convergencias (ca. 1974), Contactos 1 (1975)
Exhibition: Ximo Michavila. Centenario (1926-2026) 
Venue: Centro Cultural de Valencia – Fundación Bancaja
Dates: 6 October 2026 – 14 February 2027
Curated by: Juan Manuel Bonet


Fundación Bancaja is opening a retrospective exhibition commemorating the centenary of the birth of Joaquín Michavila. Curated by Juan Manuel Bonet, the exhibition will be held at the foundation’s Centro Cultural in Valencia from 6 October 2026 to 14 February 2027.
The exhibition focuses on Michavila as a pivotal figure in Spanish
and lyrical landscape painting, taking us on a walkthrough from his constructivist beginnings to his later mature series, in which the formal strength of his practice is predicated on an analysis of space and light. The show includes key paintings from throughout his career, illustrating his break with academicism and his mastery of composition and technique, as well as a section dedicated to historical documentation and material from the artist’s archive.
The BBVA Collection is lending five works to the exhibition at Fundación Bancaja in Valencia, including Contactos (Contacts). In this work the beholder’s eye is drawn towards the central area of the painting, shifting it slightly to the left and downwards rather than concentrating all the tension at the exact centre of the composition. The piece could be described as quasi-monochrome: two figures in intense, matte yellow against a dark ground. There are then fleshed out by subtle nuances that enrich the composition, such as the darker shade of yellow marking the point of contact between the two figures and the fine orange lines.

To achieve an even more perfect finish, in this kind of work Michavila applied a final layer of sprayed colour with a matte varnish, with the purpose of eliminating any sheen that might distract from the essential elements of form and colour.
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