The Museu d'Història de Girona dedicates an exhibition to filmmaker, painter and poster artist Antoni Varés on the 60th anniversary of his death

Monday, October 26, 2026

The exhibition, which opened this afternoon, explores the artist's life and work through the memories of his daughter, Albina Varés.

The Museu d'Història de Girona opened the exhibition Recordant Varés (Remembering Varés). Coinciding with the Sant Narcís Festival, the exhibition commemorates the 60th anniversary of the death of Antoni Varés i Martinell (Llagostera, 1909 - Girona, 1966). A filmmaker, painter, graphic designer, advertising artist, poster artist and photographer, Varés was an innovative and restless creative spirit who remained closely connected to the city of Girona throughout his life. The exhibition is on display on the museum's fourth floor and can be visited free of charge until 10 January 2027.

The exhibition approaches the artist through personal recollections, particularly those of his daughter, Albina Varés i de Batlle. It offers an insight into his more intimate side and reveals the stories behind the objects, photographs and works of art that preserve the memory of a man with a dreamy and creative soul.

In a 1992 article, Narcís Jordi-Aragó reflected on Varés's many artistic pursuits and anticipated that his presence would endure and remain relevant. He wrote that "all this suggests that we will soon be talking about him again, and that his recurring relevance will truly be, with a stubborn and happy intermittence, an éternel retour".

The exhibition is divided into six sections, each comprising a range of texts and materials. Together, they offer an exploration of Antoni Varés's life and work from both a personal and a professional perspective, always highlighting his intrinsic connection with the city of Girona. The city was not only where he lived and made his home; Girona is also an ever-present and defining feature of all his artistic work.

The materials on display come partly from the Museu d'Història's collections, although most belong to the Varés Collection held by the Arxiu Municipal de Girona, following its donation by the artist's daughter, Albina Varés i de Batlle. A substantial number of items also come from Albina Varés's own collection, which includes an important body of her father's works and documents. She has been the driving force behind the exhibition, which vindicates Narcís Jordi-Aragó's words by presenting Antoni Varés as a figure whose work and legacy remain a recurring and enduring presence in the cultural life of Girona.

A series of complementary activities has been organised around the exhibition Recordant Varés. These include guided tours led by Albina Varés, scheduled for Friday 30 October and Friday 18 December at 6 pm, and a round-table discussion on Tuesday 15 December at 6 pm, featuring David Iglesias, head of the Centre de Recerca i Difusió de la Imatge de Girona; Pere Parramon, historian, educator and cultural manager; and Eva Vázquez, cultural journalist.

Antoni Varés i Martinell (Llagostera, 1909 - Girona, 1966), filmmaker, painter, graphic designer, advertising artist, poster artist and photographer, was a restless, dreamy and modern man with an open and forward-thinking mind. He went beyond the conventional boundaries of the era in which he lived.

He studied at the Escola Municipal de Belles Arts de Girona and, in 1927, driven by curiosity and ambition, travelled to Paris to specialise in graphic arts. In the early 1930s, he began working in cinema and, under the influence of filmmaker René Clair, made the short film El rapte de Maria Rosa (1930-1931) in Girona. In Paris, he also created posters and portraits of artists for the Opéra-Comique, the Moulin Rouge and the Théâtre de la Gaîté-Montparnasse.

Following his father's death, he returned to Girona, where he worked as an advertising artist, graphic designer and painter. In the city, he madeamateur short films on 9.5 mm film and around twenty on 16 mm, as well as newsreels, documentaries, experimental films and several narrative films. His artistic activity in Girona spanned the period from 1935 to 1966, and his films, paintings, photographs and posters bear witness to life in the city during the Franco's dictatorship.