Art

Learn to See Art at Pompidou Málaga’s “To Open Eyes”

Pompidou Málaga celebrates ten years with “To Open Eyes,” a 150-work odyssey that trains visitors to learn to see art anew.

Por: Angela Leon Cervera
Learn to See Art
'To Open Eyes. Miradas de artista’. Photo: @centrepompidoumalaga

Learn to See Art—three simple words, one radical goal. “To Open Eyes. Artists’ Perspectives,” the new semi-permanent show at the Centre Pompidou Málaga, turns Josef Albers’ teaching into a living manifesto. The display marshals almost 150 works by 78 artists to untrain your gaze and rebuild it from scratch. 

 

As the museum marks its tenth birthday and secures a fresh decade-long partnership with Paris, the colourful cube by Daniel Buren beckons visitors underground, then back into light, mirroring the exhibition’s inner journey.

Learn to See Art
'To Open Eyes. Miradas de artista’. Photo: @centrepompidoumalaga

How Does “To Open Eyes” Teach Us to Learn to See Art?

  • Six thematic chapters replace a linear timeline, creating visual “rhymes” across media and eras. 

  • Iconos/Signos uses ready-mades and conceptual jolts—think Duchamp’s snow shovel or Manzoni’s Merda d’artista—to scrub away old definitions of beauty.

  • Gestos/Huellas charts the body in motion, from Jackson Pollock’s drips to feminist performance pioneers.

  • Espacios/Revelaciones poses spatial riddles, pairing Bourgeois’ psychological Cells with Judd’s cool cubes and Smithson’s mirrored vortex.

Each stop compels active looking, not passive wandering. You exit one room with your eyes recalibrated for the next.

Learn to See Art
Josef Albers. Homenaje al Cuadrado (1958). 'To Open Eyes. Miradas de artista’. Photo: @centrepompidoumalaga
Learn to See Art
'To Open Eyes. Miradas de artista’. Photo: @centrepompidoumalaga

Which Artists Lead the Charge in Learning to See Art?

  • Josef Albers – the Bauhaus maestro whose square teaches colour perception.

  • Marcel Duchamp – father of the ready-made, forever asking why a thing is art.

  • Piero Manzoni – market provocateur turning canned mystery into gold.

  • Marina Abramović & Ulay – bodies stretched to a heartbeat-loud climax in Rest Energy.

  • Louise Bourgeois – trauma crystallised into walk-in Cells.

  • Donald Judd & Robert Smithson – minimal objects that make you measure your own space.

These names headline a roster spanning abstract pioneers (Klee, Moholy-Nagy), eco-feminists (Judy Chicago), and digital trailblazers (Vera Molnár). The through-line? Each artist rewires seeing.

What Practical Details Help You Learn to See Art in Málaga?

  • Where: Centre Pompidou Málaga, Pasaje Dr. Carrillo Casaux, Muelle Uno.

  • When: 3 July 2025 – 31 January 2027.

  • Hours: Mon, Wed-Sun 09:30-20:00; closed Tuesdays.

  • Tickets: €9 combined; €7 semi-permanent; reductions for seniors, students, families.

  • Free entry: International Museum Day, World Tourism Day, La Noche en Blanco, plus Sunday afternoons—check the website for exact slots.

  • Services: free audio guides in six languages, guided tours, bookstore-café, full accessibility, lactation room, cloakroom.

Learn to See Art
'To Open Eyes. Miradas de artista’. Photo: @centrepompidoumalaga

“To Open Eyes” dismantles looking, rebuilds it, and hands it back brighter. By the time you climb from the subterranean galleries into Buren’s prism of light, you haven’t just seen art—you’ve learned how to see. That emancipated gaze is the exhibition’s final, collaborative masterpiece.

“Opening Your Gaze: Quick Answers”

  • How long should I allow for the visit? Plan two hours; thematic rooms reward lingering.
  • Is photography allowed? Yes, without flash, except where labels forbid it.
  • Are the audio guides worth using? Absolutely—they fold Albers’ “learn to see” ethos into concise, multilanguage commentary.
  • Can children enjoy the show? Yes. The museum offers family mediation kits that turn looking into a game.
  • What other shows run alongside? Temporary galleries host a Kandinsky focus and cutting-edge video art—perfect complements to training the eye.

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