Faro Santander Opens with Gelman Collection Controversy

On September 8, the Banco Santander Foundation inaugurates Faro Santander, a new art museum in Santander, Spain, occupying the renovated Pereda Building. Designed by David Chipperfield, the 10-story, 110,000-square-foot space includes a technology hub, a Cantabrian artist gallery, and a rooftop deck. Its inaugural exhibitions feature "Masterpieces from the Banco Santander Collection," curated by María Dolores Jiménez-Blanco, showcasing over 1,000 works from the 2nd century BCE to today, including pieces by El Greco, Titian, Canaletto, Soledad Sevilla, Francisco de Goya, and Niki de Saint Phalle. Also on view is "Modern Mexico in the Gelman Santander Collection," presenting 95 works of Mexican modern art from the Gelman Collection, including Frida Kahlo's Self Portrait as a Tehuana and Diego Rivera's Calla Lily Vendor. This collection, owned by the Zambrano family and stewarded by the foundation, has sparked controversy for allegedly violating the Gelmans' wishes and Mexico's export laws. The show runs through January 10, 2027. The third exhibition, "Leonora Carrington: The Symptomatic Surreal," previously at London's Freud Museum, reunites two paintings Carrington made while institutionalized. Accompanying publications, performances, and film screenings will support all three shows.