Bilbao hosts the 'Momentos' exhibition with 55 large-format photos marking 50 years of EL PAÍS. The display highlights key events and local milestones, reflecting the region's dramatic changes.
Bilbao’s city center has become an open-air gallery with the arrival of the 'Momentos' exhibition. This new display brings together 55 photographs from EL PAÍS, tracing fifty years of Spanish and Basque history. The exhibition marks the newspaper’s anniversary, but it also invites the public to look directly at the region’s difficult past and ongoing changes.
One of the most recognizable faces in the exhibition is José Ángel Iribar, the former Athletic Club goalkeeper, now 83. In Bilbao, Iribar is more than a football legend—his portrait is a reminder of the Basque Country’s resilience and the risks public figures faced during the years of ETA violence. Curator Marisa Flórez chose each image to capture moments that shaped both the city and the country, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the return of exiled leaders and the industrial revival of Bizkaia.
Marisa Flórez is recognized as the author and curator of a retrospective photographic project covering the period from 1970 to 2020, confirming her key role in such exhibition formats.
At the opening, Bilbao’s mayor, Juan Mari Aburto, called the photographs "collective memory" and spoke about the unique dangers journalists faced in the Basque Country, where signing an article could put your life at risk. The exhibition does not avoid these realities. It references the 2000 attack on journalists Juan Francisco Palomo and Aurora Intxausti—a moment, as Aburto pointed out, for which "there is no photo," but which remains vivid in the city’s memory.
This Bilbao edition of 'Momentos' stands out for its local focus. Five photographs were added specifically for this stop, highlighting episodes that resonate with many residents: the smoke from Altos Hornos during Bizkaia’s industrial era, the return of lehendakari Leizaola from exile, Iribar’s lasting influence, the Athletic Club’s river parade on the gabarra, and the Aste Nagusia festival. For many, these images are not just history—they are part of daily life and identity.
The exhibition is open to the public on Ercilla street until September 24. Each photo includes a QR code that links to audio commentary from Cadena Ser, letting visitors hear Marisa Flórez explain the context behind each shot. Supported by Telefónica and local institutions, the project has already visited Madrid, Vigo, Gijón, and Santander. Organizers say Bilbao was a necessary stop, given the city’s unique story over the past fifty years.
While there is indirect confirmation of the relevance of Aste Nagusia and other cultural events in Bilbao, direct independent verification of the exhibition's opening and specific local additions has not been found in available sources. For thorough fact-checking, primary sources such as official announcements or statements from the Ayuntamiento de Bilbao are recommended.
The opening drew a crowd that included Iribar, Mayor Aburto, regional officials, former EL PAÍS directors, and figures from Basque football. The mix of international milestones and local moments shows how the Basque Country’s story is tied to Spain’s broader history of change and renewal.
Since its founding in 1976, EL PAÍS has covered Spain’s transition from dictatorship to democracy, the challenges of terrorism, and the evolution of its regions. The 'Momentos' exhibition distills this history into a visual journey that is both direct and accessible. For Bilbao, the display is more than a look back—it is a reminder that memory and history are not just found in newspapers, but in the streets where events unfolded.
