The Culture Vulture

By The Culture Vulture in Ronda

Ronda (Malaga) is the centre of attention at the moment. The inauguration of a new “installation” by the famous French designer and architect Philippe Starck in a prominent position overlooking the valley has created interest regionally, nationally and internationally.

Philippe Starck [Photo: El Pais]

Background

Philippe Starck was commissioned by the organic olive oil farm LA Organic to create a memorable “sculpture” on their premises just outside Ronda.

The striking building has references to bullfighting, olive oil production, Pablo Picasso and much more. The structure houses an exhibition of art, an olive oil press, a cata (tasting) and a restaurant.

LA Almazara in Ronda [Photo: Areall]

Grand opening

The LA Almazara was inaugurated last week by dignitaries from across the region, including Juanma Moreno, president of the Andalucia regional government, the mayoress of Ronda, Maria de la Paz Fernandez, as well as the artist, Philippe Starck himself.

The opening [Photo: Diario Ronda]

Media coverage

There have been articles in both Spanish, English, French and German at international, national and regional level about this important addition to the Ronda scene, in ABC, costadel-online.es, efe.com, El Pais, El Periodico, europapress.com, Forbes magazine, idealista.com, okdiario.com, La Vanguardia, Cadena SER, Telecinco, tiempo.com, travelandtelling.com, charryTV, Diario Sur, Diario Ronda, Ronda Semanal, starck.fr, Malaga Hoy, Vanity Fair, VivaSevilla, as well as designboom.com, MSN, SUR in English and The Olive Press (pending).

It is regarded as something of a coup for the City of the Tajo to obtain an original piece of work from such a prestigious artist as Philippe Starck.

© The Culture Vulture

Contact information:

almazaralaorganic.com

LA Organic Experience

Carretera A-367 km 39, LA Organic, 29400, Ronda (Málaga) · 05 km

650 88 72 47

Guided tour including tasting 20€

Links:

Abre al público la espectacular almazara diseñada por Phillippe Starck en Ronda | Gastronomía: recetas, restaurantes y bebidas | EL PAÍS

Así es la almazara vanguardista de Philippe Starck que abre sus puertas en Ronda

Cuando Philippe Starck se enamoró de Ronda | Vanity Fair

El arquitecto francés Philippe Starck estrena una almazara vanguardista en Ronda

El diseñador y arquitecto Philippe Starck estrena una almazara vanguardista en Ronda (Málaga) para la compañía LA Organic

Inauguran la almazara ecológica diseñada por Phillippe Starck | Diario Ronda

La Almazara creada por Philippe Starck en Ronda abre al público

La Almazara de Philippe Starck: un proyecto de 22 millones en Ronda

LA Almazara, la primera almazara de autor del mundo, diseñada por Philippe Starck, abre en Ronda (Málaga)

LA Almazara, la primera almazara de autor del mundo, diseñada por Philippe Starck, abre en Ronda (Málaga) - Forbes España

LA Almazara, Ronda

La espectacular almazara picassiana diseñada por Phillippe Starck en Ronda

La primera almazara de autor del mundo, del arquitecto Philippe Starck, está en Ronda (Málaga) | Sociedad | Cadena SER

Philippe Starck, apasionado de España y del aceite, estrena su vanguardista almazara | Ronda Semanal. Noticias de Ronda

phillipe starck curates radical, minimalist 'LA almazara' in andalusia

Philippe Starck estrena su vanguardista almazara

Philippe Starck inaugurará LA Almazara el próximo 18 de octubre

Philippe Starck in Ronda LA Organic

Philippe Starck's organic olive oil mill experience in Ronda is now a reality | Sur in English

Philippe Starck Ronda - Erlebnis für die Sinne

Philippe Starck y su obra en la Serranía de Ronda: LA Almazara

The French architect Philippe Starck opens a avant-garde oil mill in Ronda (Málaga)

Tags:

ABC, bullfighting, Cadena SER, charryTV, City of the Tajo, costadel-online.es, Culture Vulture, designboom.com, Diario Sur, Diario Ronda, efe.com, El Pais, El Periodico, europapress.com, Forbes magazine, French architect, idealista.com, Juanma Moreno, LA Almazara, LA Organic, La Vanguardia, Malaga Hoy, Maria de la Paz Fernandez, MSN, okdiario.com, olive oil, Pablo Picasso, Philippe Starck, Ronda, Ronda Semanal, Serrania de Ronda, starck.fr, SUR in English, Telecinco, The Olive Press, tiempo.com, travelandtelling.com, Vanity Fair, VivaSevilla

How many museums are there in Málaga City?

Five? Six?

Amazingly there are 13!

They range from two dedicated to Málaga’s most famous son, Pablo Ruiz Picasso, to a sub-branch of the Carmen Thyssen Art Gallery in Madrid; from the Pompidou Centre to various municipal museums; from a Glass Museum to Vintage Cars; from a Museum of Russian Art to another dedicated to Video Games.

Something for everyone and much more.

Photo: Museo Casa Natal Picasso

My Málaga Museum Visits to Date

I’m ashamed to say that the missus and I have only been to the two Picasso galleries, the Pompidou Centre and the Carmen Thyssen, although the queue for the latter was too long, so we gave up.

Museo Picasso Málaga

The Picasso Museum in Malaga opened in 2003. I’ve only been once. I like Picasso’s work a lot. I studied A-Level art and he was an important influence.

But, I have to say I was disappointed with the Museum. Not much of his famous stuff was in evidence.

I much prefer …..

….. Museo Casa Natal Picasso

This was Picasso’s birth house which is now a small museum. Located in Plaza de la Merced, it’s a delightful place, with a mix of art and memorabilia.

I’ve been several times.

Last year, with the Costa Press Club, of which I am a long-standing member, Rita and I also attended a private showing of “La Imagen de Picasso” at another house a few steps from the Casa Natal.

The exhibition was about the Press and media coverage of this somewhat controversial figure.

Centre Pompidou

This offshoot of the famous Paris gallery opened in 2015 in the re-furbished Port of Málaga was quite interesting and entrance was half/price for senior citizens. There is no permanent exhibition here, but temporary ones for a short season.

My "to-do list" for 2025

Of the Málaga museums I’ve not been to, the Museo Carmen Thyssen is definitely on the list, together with the Colección del Museo Ruso.

Away from the World of Art, I fancy the Museo del Vidrio y del Cristal and the Museo del Automóvil y la Moda.

    Photos of the Glass Museum and the Car Museum [Turismo de Malaga]

I’ll give the OXO Museo del Videojuego a miss, I think. Video games are not really my thing!

©  The Culture Vulture

Link::

Bing Vídeos

Acknowledgements:

Diario Sur

Quién es Quién en Málaga 2024

Photos:

Facebook

La Razón

Museo Casa Natal Picasso

Museos de Málaga

Pompidou Centre

Tags:

Carmen Thyssen Art Gallery, Centre Pompidou, Colección del Museo Ruso, Costa Press Club, Culture Vulture, Facebook, Glass Museum, “La Imagen de Picasso”, La Razón, Madrid, municipal museum, Museo Carmen Thyssen, Museo Casa Natal Picasso, Museo del Automóvil y la Moda, Museo del Vidrio y del Cristal, Museo Picasso Málaga, Museos de Malaga, Museum of Russian Art, Pablo Ruiz Picasso, Pompidou Centre, Port of Málaga, Video Games, Vintage Cars

Graffiti capital of Spain? Sounds grim, huh? But no, since Banksie in the UK and Arikaio, Okuda and Víctor Fernández in Spain, graffiti has become respectable.

And Ronda has just been chosen as one of the half-a-dozen or so towns in Spain to be designated by La Liga Nacional de Graffiti and one of only two in Andalucía.

Ronda and Graffiti

Over the last few years there have been some ten or so examples of this form of urban art which have appeared mostly on gable ends, throughout the City of Dreams. And all of them official, and backed and sponsored by Ronda Council.

Over a few days last week, several artists could be seen painting a series of a dozen murals on a retaining wall at the top of Calle Sevilla, just before the turn-off to the polígono industrial (industrial estate).

   Photo: Diario Ronda                                      Photo: Málaga Hoy

Here are the completed murals:

All photographs by Paul Whitelock, unless otherwise credited.

Links:

About Ronda Roundabouts (and murals) (eyeonspain.com)

© The Culture Vulture

Photos:

Diario Ronda

Má​​​​​​​laga Hoy

Paul Whitelock

Acknowledgements:

Diario Sur

Paul Whitelock

Ronda Semanal

Vanessa Melgar

https://www.help-me-ronda.com

Tags:

Arikaio, Banksie, City of Dreams, Diario Ronda, Diario Sur, Graffiti capital of Spain, Má​​​​​​​laga Hoy, Okuda, Paul Whitelock, Ronda Semanal, Vanessa Melgar, Víctor Fernández, www.help-me-ronda.com