Torrevieja incorporates the sculptural port of Manolo Valdés

Contemporary art will be on display for residents, visitors, and tourists in Torrevieja. Starting this summer, the port area will feature the monumental presence of Manolo Valdés, one of Spain's most internationally renowned contemporary artists, through three sculptures designed to engage with the city, the seascape, and everyday life.

Under the title 'Art comes to meet you. Three sculptures by Manolo Valdés in Torrevieja', the exhibition will bring together the pieces Reina Mariana, Clio Silver and Ariela, which will be installed progressively on an open and accessible route.

The mayor of Torrevieja, Eduardo Dolón, the president of the Hozono Global Group, Manuel Martínez Ortuño, and the representative of Opera Gallery, Belén Herrera, presented this cultural initiative, promoted by the Hozono Global Group in collaboration with the Torrevieja City Council. The proposal aims to enrich the urban landscape, create new points of cultural interest, and bring a first-rate work of art closer to the public.

The exhibition will unfold in two phases. The first begins today, Monday, July 13, with the installation of Reina Mariana. Starting October 8, 2026, Clio Silver and Ariela will be added, completing the sculptural ensemble, which can be enjoyed until October 31, 2027.

The proposal invites visitors to view Torrevieja from a different perspective. The sculptures are not presented as isolated pieces, but as an urban experience linked to walking, the landscape, and contemplation.

Eduardo Dolón stated that “for Torrevieja it is an honor to be able to feature the work of an artist of Manolo Valdés' stature for more than a year. It is not every day that a city has the opportunity to bring sculptures of this caliber to its residents and visitors in an open space like our port, where anyone can enjoy them simply by taking a stroll.”

The mayor of Torrevieja also emphasized that "we continue working to make Torrevieja an increasingly attractive city, not only for its beaches and climate, but also for its cultural offerings. These sculptures will add value to one of the city's most emblematic spaces, and I am convinced that they will become a new point of interest for residents and tourists alike, as well as contributing to projecting a modern and dynamic image of Torrevieja."

For Manuel Martínez Ortuño, president of the Hozono Global Group, the exhibition represents "an opportunity to bring art closer to the daily life of Torrevieja and for residents, visitors and tourists to encounter the work of Manolo Valdés in an open and shared space."

“Cities are also built from culture, from that which invites us to stop, to look at things differently and to enjoy shared spaces. This exhibition aims to contribute precisely to that: to add a new experience to the urban journey through Torrevieja,” Martínez Ortuño pointed out.

The collaboration with the Torrevieja City Council reinforces the importance of combining efforts between public institutions and private entities to develop cultural projects of general interest, capable of enriching urban life and bringing top-level artistic proposals to diverse audiences.

THREE SCULPTURES FOR AN ARTISTIC ROUTE

The exhibition "Art Comes to Meet You" presents a dialogue between the monumental work of Manolo Valdés, the seascape of Torrevieja, and the everyday experiences of those who frequent the city. Through works such as Reina Mariana, Clio Silver, and Ariela, the exhibition offers insights into some of the key elements of the artist's creative universe: the reinterpretation of art history, the power of materials, the monumentality of sculpture, and the capacity of forms to transform the space they occupy.

Queen Mariana, created in aluminum in 2019, is part of one of Manolo Valdés's most recognizable lines of work: the reinterpretation of great icons from art history. The piece connects with the portrait of Queen Mariana of Austria painted by Diego Velázquez and translates that classical reference into the contemporary language of monumental sculpture.

Clio Silver, from 2021, is the largest piece in the collection. Made of polished aluminum and stainless steel, it stands out for its monumental size and the visual presence of its materials, which allow the work to interact with light, the environment, and the changes in perception that occur throughout the day.

Ariela, an aluminum sculpture created in 2019 and conceived as a unique piece, completes the exhibition. The work lends a more restrained scale to the ensemble, while maintaining the formal solidity characteristic of Valdés's sculptural language.