The history of the art trade in Mallorca cannot be understood without the emergence, at the end of the 19th century, of a society that turned painting into an object of desire and a business capable of moving significant capital. We are talking about the Foment de la Pintura i Escultura, a social entity active in the city between 1876 and 1904, but about which little has been said until now. The restorer of works of art José María Pardo Falcón now reconstructs that collective adventure in the essay-book "La sociedad del Fomento de la Pintura y Escultura. Palma 1876-1904", edited by Ensiola and with a prologue by professor Catalina Cantarellas. The volume will be presented on May 7 at the Quars bookstore, in a conversation between the author and Cantarellas herself.

The Es Baluard Museum of Contemporary Art of Palma and the Consell de Mallorca have presented the projects that will be part of the B 2026 Biennial, an edition that expands the territorial reach with activities in Palma and Marratxí after an initial proposal spread across different points of the Archipelago.

Someone in the Sant Antoni de Portmany City Council had an idea: what if we painted the main street of the West End in bright colors? The idea was to combat drunken tourism with art – the West is an area known mainly for its bars – or, in the words of the Portmany mayor, Marcos Serra: “An integral reconstruction project for this entire area, to make the leap in tourist quality that we have always sought.” And so it was done. The artist in charge was Okuda San Miguel, a Cantabrian painter of international fame, a versatile author – responsible, among other things, for the controversial transformation of the Ajo lighthouse, the 2018 Valencia City Council falla, and the interior of the International Church of Cannabis, in Denver. On May 21, 2025, Okuda's work in Sant Antoni was presented to society: the ground of Santa Agnès street completely painted with colorful geometric shapes, plus a square where Okuda's main emblem stands, the so-called Star of Chaos. In total, 371,000 euros, with a contribution of 220,000 euros from European funds.

“The olive trees that your Pilar paints are real, / They are pagan, Christian, and modern olive trees / that guard the secret desires of the dead / with gestures, wills, and poses of the living”. This is what the poet Rubén Darío wrote addressing Joan Sureda, the husband of the painter Pilar Montaner. We remember the life and work of this exceptional artist, ahead of her time, as we commemorate the 150th anniversary of her birth, on April 13, 1876.

The City Hall's plenary hall hosted the official ceremony for the 2025 Ciutat de Palma Awards this Thursday, recognizing works in visual arts, narrative, poetry, comics, music, performing arts, audiovisuals, journalism, gastronomy, research, and architecture. The ceremony replaced the gala scheduled for January 20th at the Teatre Principal, which was cancelled following the Adamuz train accident. The event was presided over by the mayor, Jaime Martínez, and was also attended by institutional representatives, members of the cultural sector, award winners, and jury members. After the speeches and the presentation of awards, the group moved to the Casal Solleric to inaugurate the exhibition of the finalists for the Antoni Gelabert Prize and the exhibition. Chapter, by Andrea Canepa.

Palma 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.

An engineer with a distinguished professional career, including the presidency of the Port Authority of Barcelona and the Carulla Foundation, Joaquim Coello Brufau (Salamanca, 1946) outlines solutions for the Menorca he has seen evolve during 40 years of living among the islanders. In Ciutadella, where he has three houses, he opens the new academic year of the Círculo Artístico. Menorca has changed as much as the world. It has been invaded by tourists, and the infrastructure and natural spaces have reached their limits. You have to get up early to go to the beaches and take a bus to see the sunset from Punta Nati. Menorca is so at its limit that, if the number of visitors continues to increase, the territory will be destroyed.