La councilor Patricia del Pozo has reported to the Committee on Culture and Sports of the Andalusian Parliament that the Junta de Andalucía has invested more than 3 million euros since 2019 in acquiring works of art to expand the collections of Andalusian museums. Specifically, the acquisitions have been destined for the museums of Jaén and Málaga, the Fine Arts and Archaeological and Ethnological Museum of Córdoba, the Flamenco Museum of Andalusia in Jerez, the Fine Arts and Archaeological Museum of Seville, and the Andalusian Center for Contemporary Art (CAAC).
«We have the responsibility, not only to preserve the pieces in the best conditions, but also to increase, complete, and enhance the collections and funds of our museums,» stated Del Pozo, who emphasized that «this is a fundamental task to complete and update the exhibition discourses of Andalusian museums, make them more attractive, improve the visitor experience, and make these spaces more interesting for researchers and specialists.»
Regarding this issue, the Minister of Culture and Sports has stated, «Unfortunately, we do not have the support and collaboration of the Ministry of Culture, which holds the ownership of most of the museums in Andalusia, but neither invests as it should in the buildings, nor acquires new pieces and works.» «Only in the last two years, the Ministry of Culture has carried out 450 purchases totaling over 28.5 million euros, and none of them have ended up in the collections of Andalusian museums,» affirmed the minister.
«There are fifteen museums of state ownership and autonomous management in Andalusia. Fifteen centers that belong to the Ministry, but since they are in Andalusia and managed by the Junta de Andalucía, do not deserve to receive any of the 450 works purchased for over 28.5 million in two years. Not even those that have a close connection to Andalusia, such as those by Zurbarán or Pedro de Campaña, or those created by Andalusian artists, like Luisa Roldán, La Roldana,» pointed out Del Pozo.
The minister explained, «There is nothing for these museums because they are punishing Andalusia in this way and continue to privilege other autonomous communities.» «It is clear – argued Patricia del Pozo – that the Ministry of Culture has other priorities, such as allocating 80 million euros to cultural programming, only in the city of Barcelona, or this year spending 7.2 million euros to purchase Casa Gomis in El Prat de Llobregat for a cultural center.»
Finally, Patricia del Pozo has called on the other political groups in the Parliament to advocate for a more equal treatment: «Do they really support and agree with the discrimination and marginalization with which the government of Pedro Sánchez punishes our land and our culture? I would like to see them defend this land and the interests of Andalusia, instead of tarnishing the achievements that we are reaching with a lot of effort and very little help.»