Verba volant picta manent

This is a commemoration of a 25-year journey. In 1999, this center began its exhibition programming. Since that Jacobean Holy Year, after 80 exhibitions and thanks to the donations of the artists themselves, the collection has grown to a total of 767 works, forming a heritage that this institution, as a public museum, preserves and displays. This exhibition offers the opportunity to take a quarter-century journey through a selection of pieces from the temporary shows, and is organized according to the different exhibition programs that the center has developed. Because exhibits are ephemeral (volant), but the pieces endure (manent).

The exhibition is the defining language of the museum. It is the primary means of conveying its scientific message and also the most effective way to communicate the institution's core values.

In 1999, we launched our exhibition programming. Coinciding with the celebration of the Holy Year of 1999, and with the aim of actively contributing to the cultural offerings of the city, the first program, "Pilgrimages Around the World," was created. From the outset, this program sought to complement the permanent exhibition, promote values such as respect and interracial and intercultural tolerance, and provide high documentary value by combining innovative and previously unseen aspects.

The first exhibition, "Ajmer: Sufi Pilgrims," was conceived to delve into the theme that introduces (and still does) the museum's permanent exhibition: bringing us closer to pilgrimages other than the Jacobean one and demonstrating that they are universal phenomena. Through more than 20 exhibitions, the importance of this phenomenon in various religions, cultures, and places around the world was illustrated, with the support of great photography professionals such as Cristina García Rodero, Luis Baylón, and Fernando Moleres. Their lenses allowed us to participate in the Kumbh Mela (India), travel to Lalibela (Ethiopia), or get to know the Lord of Qoyllur Rit’i (Peru).

"Other Pilgrimages" was launched in 2001 as a program that promotes contemporary artistic projects and expressions that explore the impulse and process of pilgrimage, considering internal or conceptual aspects that are not necessarily tied to traditional religious sentiments. The Norwegian artist Borgny Svalastog, the Chinese artist Zhang Huan, and the Galician artist Manuel Valcárcel "Piro" shared with us their unique journeys.

"Heritage and the Camino" is an exhibition program that aims to showcase Galician cultural heritage, particularly that related to the Camino de Santiago and its destination: Compostela. As a result, a large number of exhibitions focus on the Jacobean route, which is present in the permanent exhibition, while also introducing innovative content and new perspectives.