The cinemas that Palma lost… and that now come back to memory

PalmPalma is revisiting the memory of the cinemas that, for decades, shaped the city's cultural and social life. The 'Palma, City of Cinemas' project, promoted by the Consell de Mallorca and developed entirely by the Mallorca Sound and Image Archive (ASIM), combines an immersive exhibition and a publication that reconstruct the history of the theaters that transformed cinema into a collective ritual. The exhibition can be visited in the Chapel of Mercy and on the first floor of the Entrepatis building, within the cultural center, from February 6 to April 11, 2026. The tour offers a journey through the evolution of Palma's cinemas and their social role through emblematic pieces, such as the iconic Metropolitan poster, vintage projectors, handbills, and materials by poster artist Rafael Ruiz.

The exhibition also includes a screening of the documentary The ephemeral dream, by Toni Bestard, which completes this immersion in Palma's cinematic memory and its relationship with the city and its social changes.

The exhibition design is by Àngel Luque, while the overall coordination of the project was handled by Francesc X. Bonnín, head of the Sound and Image Archive of Mallorca.

The project is completed with the publication of the book Palma, city of cinemas, which offers a comprehensive view of the city's cinemas, from large first-run theaters to neighborhood cinemas. The book includes a carefully curated selection of images, some previously unpublished, and analyzes different aspects of the operation and activity of these spaces. The content has been prepared by Verònica Fiol and Tomeu Fiol Obrador, specialists in the history of cinema in Mallorca, in collaboration with the Palma City Council. The official opening will be on Friday, February 6, at 7 p.m., and the exhibition can be visited from Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Both the exhibition and the book offer a complete perspective on the relationship between cinema, city, and society in Palma, and celebrate a cultural heritage that forms part of the city's collective memory.