The range of contemporary art on offer in Valencia is becoming increasingly extensive, bringing together the works of local artists of international renown with those of other artists from all over the world.

The combination of well-established art galleries in the city with new and spacious spaces designed to bring contemporary art closer to the public has created an ecosystem in which the range of proposals is constantly renewed. 

If you come and visit us with the desire to experience what seems to be peaceful, but inside, experiences that will change you forever, here is a list of places and galleries not to be missed.

IVAM

The Institut Valencià d’Art Modern is the great temple of contemporary art in Valencia. The combination of its own collection with temporary exhibitions, conferences, workshops and musical performances will succeed in one way or another to arouse your interest. As a recent addition, you can now enjoy the museum’s exterior extension at the rear, with a garden presided over by a work by the Valencian artist Escif, which occupies the entire façade on this side of the large building.

MuVIM

This art centre in the heart of the city and is one of the best examples of contemporary architecture you can in Valencia. It brings together temporary exhibitions of different and diverse nature. The exhibitions in the Museu Valencià de la Ilustració i la Modernitat range from those that review certain historical periods in Valencia and Spain to collections of graphic material of all kinds.

Espai Tactel

One of the most recent galleries on this list is also the one that presents the most ground-breaking proposals. If you are looking for proposals that explore new media, escape from the daily grind and complacency, this is your gallery. Here you can see one of the most recent exhibitions of the young Valencian artist Carlos Sáez, an international reference in digital media.

Bombas Gens

Despite its recent entry into the world of art, this old Art Deco style factory has managed to become a must for lovers of contemporary art, with a particular focus on photography. Several pillars of culture come together in this art centre, because in addition to enjoying the exhibitions, you can learn about a part of Valencia’s history by visiting the different rooms of the complex and even enjoy one of the best restaurants in the city: Ricard Camarena.

Rosa Santos

This gallery is located five minutes’ walk from the Central Market and is the ideal place to nourish the soul with another Valencian product, the artistic one. Santos the President of LaVac, the Association of Contemporary Art Galleries of Valencia, and in its premises, you will find the latest trends in sculpture, conceptual art, performance, video and installation http://lavac.es/

Bancaja Foundation

The two buildings that house this foundation are worth a visit just to admire their exterior facades. Its 19th century architecture (the darker façade) and 20th century architecture (the white façade), together with El Parterre and the Capitanía building, complete the magnificent view of this quarter. This foundation specialises in the monographs of 20th century painters and presents exhibitions on Sorolla at least every two years. Among the most outstanding exhibitions of recent times have been those that have brought together the work of Equipo Crónica or that of Julio Romero de Torres.

Luis Adelantado

In the 2019 edition of Abierto València, the inevitable meeting place for lovers of contemporary art in the region, celebrating the joint opening of the art season, the Luis Adelantado Gallery received the prize for the best exhibition with Mulholland Drive by Álex Marco. This gallery is also based in Mexico City, one of the most vibrant cities on the contemporary art scene in the world today.

CCCC

What used to be a monastery and later a faculty of fine arts in the past centuries is now the Centre del Carme Cultura Contemporània. In this complex you will find several indoor and outdoor spaces where you can enjoy art in all its forms, without wanting to distinguish between high and popular culture. One of the great successes of this centre is the exhibition held every year in March on the occasion of the Fallas, in which the artist responsible for the conception and design of the City Council’s Falla exhibits some of his works in parallel.

Ana Serratosa

We conclude this review of the contemporary art scene in Valencia with a gallery that also has two locations, but both in our city. On one side you will find the Serratosa Project opposite the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, which brings art closer to the public at street level, and on the other side it brings artistic expression from an attic in Pascual i Genís street, right in the centre. Twice a year, the gallery invites international artists to create open-air projects and transform the cityscapes of Valencia into an exhibition hall.

You can find further cultural offers here:

https://www.visitvalencia.com/que-hacer-valencia/cultura-valenciana/espacios-culturales-valencia https://www.visitvalencia.com/que-hacer-valencia/cultura-valenciana/top-museos-en-valencia