This Valencia center, known for its cultural vitality, remains a focal point under the leadership of José Luis Pérez Pont. Across the upcoming year, a five-name group of artists from Alicante will fill the space with new work, highlighted in the exhibition lineup.
Senior illustrator Miguel Calatayud and Alicante-based artist Pigeon Navares will present shows that bring together new work alongside the iconic image of the woman from Alicante, Christina de Middel, and the photographer Ricardo Cases. A special program will spotlight photo and drafting proposals that engage with social themes in a thoughtful way.
A National Photography Award winner and former president of Magnum Agency, Cristina De Middel, will be featured in March. This project, produced by the Museum Consortium for PhotoAlicante, revisits her career as a photojournalist and reconnects with her Valencian roots. Earlier visibility in Las Cigarreras in 2021 mirrors the trajectory of Miguel Trillo and his portrait work focusing on Asian youth, underscoring Valencia as a stage for contemporary image-making.
Oriolano photographer Ricardo Cases will begin a personal exhibition in March, presenting a series that explores places and motifs that feel like short circuits of local character. The work is part of Cases’ broader approach that treats Valencia as an arena for exploration and discovery.
Other photographers, including Carmen F. Singler, Eva Máñez, German Caballero, and Raúl Belinchón, complete the program dedicated to the visual image.
The exhibition also reflects the LGTBIQ+ movement and the fight against HIV through the eyes of Xàbia-based visual artist and professor Pepe Miralles. Curated by Isabel Tejeda, the show asks how to continue learning from works that have shaped formal and aesthetic thought, inviting viewers to reexamine artistic impact and social relevance.
Calatayud and Navares headline a section exploring long-standing contributions. Miguel Calatayud, with more than five decades in comics and illustration, brings a landmark display to the Center del Carme, in collaboration with the Wellington Foundation and Carlos PérezA. A major installation features watercolors and documents that chronicle the artist’s personal and collaborative works across a celebrated career.
A retrospective by Pigeon Navares centers on the idea of duality, with a distinct emphasis on women expressed through a mix of visual and sonic installations curated by Margarita Aizpuru. The works invite viewers to consider identity, voice, and representation from a fresh perspective.
The program also includes a dedicated budget discussion, with names such as Felipe Pantone, Llorenç Barber, Juan Olivares, and Marina Puche contributing to a broader dialogue. The Center del Carme will address themes like memory, artificial intelligence, NFTs, and planetary care, with a substantial portion of activity planned for the year 2023. The Valencia Community Consortium of Museums has increased its budget, reflecting growth from a previous 1.7 million to levels around seven million euros.
Officials describe gradual growth as part of a center that now serves as a cultural brand for the city, acting as a laboratory for ideas. The Regional Secretary of Culture notes the synergy of exhibitions with training, mediation, and the development of creative projects. The programming team praises Pérez Pont for weaving his exhibition narratives with broad social themes, fostering a vibrant cultural ecosystem.
As cultural funding faced pressures, Pérez Pont emphasizes support for Valencian art by prioritizing exhibitions that feature artists linked to Alicante, Valencia, and Castellón. This approach reinforces the regional voice within a dynamic national and international context.