Exhibition: "THE EPHEMERAL CANVAS OF HOLY WEEK IN CARTAGENA" (1925-2025). La Espiga Dorada

Exhibition: “THE EPHEMERAL CANVAS OF HOLY WEEK IN CARTAGENA” (1925-2025).

From February 20th to April 5th at La Espiga Dorada C/del Aire.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 13:30 and Tuesday to Saturday afternoons from 17:30 to 20:00

Since Cartagena's Holy Week officially unveiled its first poster in 1925, the city has amassed one of Spain's most important collections of ephemeral art. In 2026, we celebrated the end of a century of our poster tradition and the beginning of a new era. Cartagena is a pioneer in its ability to blend religious devotion with the artistic movements of each period, from Art Deco to contemporary minimalism. Its evolution is, in essence, the story of Spanish art over the last century. From the first official poster in 1925 to 2025, these works have evolved from mere paper advertisements into collector's items, bearing witness to an uninterrupted visual narrative.

The first posters drew inspiration from local customs and classical illustration. These works sought to present the city to the outside world, highlighting the military order and sobriety that characterize its processions. Artists such as Antulio, Mustieles, R. Puch, E. Gabriel Navarro, Luzzy, Bas, and Creus, among others, left a historical record through their strokes and compositions, capturing the Mediterranean light and the elegance of our processions. Until the 1980s, the poster became a monumental piece. Attention was focused on the richness of the city's religious imagery, with classical compositions that sought to evoke emotion through the faces of our beautiful sculptures. Later, photography burst onto the scene, allowing artists to focus on details that the human eye cannot see and to incorporate them into the magical atmosphere of the old town's streets. But with photography came new technologies. Thus, in recent years, posters have embraced contemporary graphic design and visual synthesis, demonstrating that our Holy Week is a living tradition that is not afraid of modernity.

Reaching this centenary reaffirms Cartagena's status as a cultural landmark. Each poster is a tribute to the four brotherhoods (Marrajos, Californios, del Resucitado, and del Socorro) and to Cartagena's characteristic expression of "order, flower, and light."

This exhibition, “THE EPHEMERAL CANVAS OF HOLY WEEK IN CARTAGENA” (1925-2025), is not only a look at the past, but a declaration of intent towards the future, to continue announcing to the world that Holy Week in Cartagena is unparalleled.