ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Banco Santander Opens Faro Santander Museum in Spain

exhibition · 2026-07-27

Set to open on 8 September, the Faro Santander museum will present a collection of 1,000 pieces from Banco Santander, showcasing artists such as Lucas Cranach the Elder, Velásquez, Titian, Rubens, Goya, and Picasso, among others. Situated in the Pereda Building, which dates back to 1795 and has been redesigned by architect David Chipperfield, the museum boasts 10,000 sq. m of exhibition space. The €40m initiative features four floors dedicated to exhibitions, along with a café, an auditorium, and family activity areas. The opening exhibition, curated by María Dolores Jiménez-Blanco, will highlight Masterpieces from the Banco Santander Collection, while a temporary display will include the Gelman Santander collection, featuring Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, amid ongoing legal disputes over its loan agreement.

Key facts

  • Faro Santander museum opens on 8 September in Santander, Spain.
  • The museum displays Banco Santander's 1,000-piece art collection.
  • The collection includes works by Cranach, Velázquez, Titian, Rubens, Goya, Picasso, and others.
  • The museum is housed in the 1795 Pereda Building, renovated by David Chipperfield.
  • The renovation cost €40 million, financed by the Santander Foundation.
  • The inaugural exhibition 'Masterpieces from the Banco Santander Collection' is curated by María Dolores Jiménez-Blanco.
  • A temporary exhibition 'Modern Mexico in the Gelman Santander Collection' runs until 10 January 2027.
  • The Gelman collection has legal controversy over a loan agreement with Mexico.
  • Leonora Carrington exhibition transfers from Freud Museum London.
  • Santander aims to become an art destination with Centro Botín and Reina Sofía outpost.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Banco Santander
  • Faro Santander
  • Santander Foundation
  • Centro Botín
  • Reina Sofía
  • Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
  • Freud Museum London
  • Defence of the Gelman Collection
  • Banco Santander Foundation
  • Banco Santander Collection
  • Gelman Santander Collection
  • Freud Museum
  • Museo de Arte Moderno
  • Artnet News
  • Colección Banco Santander
  • Colección Gelman Santander
  • Museo de Arte Moderno de México
  • Fundación Casa de México
  • Instituto Cultural de México en España
  • Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía
  • Fundación Albéniz
  • Fábrica de Texturas
  • Brañaflor
  • Casapalma
  • Repion
  • Museo del Prado
  • Fundación Banco Santander
  • Museo Guggenheim Bilbao
  • Museo de Arte Moderno de Ciudad de México
  • El País

Locations

  • Santander
  • Spain
  • Bay of Santander
  • Cantabrian mountains
  • Cantabria
  • Madrid
  • Mexico
  • London
  • Pereda Building
  • Mexico City
  • Edificio Pereda
  • Jardines de Pereda
  • Parque de la Vaca
  • Clayton-le-Woods
  • Lancashire
  • England
  • Florence
  • Italy
  • United Kingdom
  • Paris
  • France
  • Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche
  • Provence
  • Lisbon
  • Portugal
  • New York
  • United States

Sources

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