New exhibitions in San Sebastián

San Sebastián adds two new highlights to its cultural calendar. Tabakalera, one of the city’s leading contemporary art venues, presents two new exhibitions.

If you are planning a visit to Donostia and are interested in art, these exhibitions offer an excellent opportunity to discover the city. Through reworked archives, painting, film, music and movement, Tabakalera invites visitors to pause, observe and engage with contemporary creation.

KOOPERATIBA

From 3 July 2026 to 10 January 2027, Tabakalera presents KOOPERATIBA, an exhibition by Carla Filipe and Taxio Ardanaz, curated by Ángel Calvo Ulloa.

The exhibition is based on research into various revolutionary processes that shaped the 20th century. Through archives, symbols and images, the two artists explore how collective memory, political identity and forms of cooperation are constructed.

Inside the exhibition, you will find:

• Paintings and large banners that transform the space.
• Drawings created with thread.
• Reworked historical documents and archives.
• Works connecting memory, community and resistance.

Rather than presenting two separate bodies of work, KOOPERATIBA creates a dialogue between the artistic practices of Carla Filipe and Taxio Ardanaz. The result is an artistic ecosystem in which different stories, materials and ideas intersect and take on new meanings.

HU/هُ - Bailad como si nadie os viera

From 17 July to 12 October 2026, Tabakalera hosts HU/هُ - Bailad como si nadie os viera, an installation by filmmaker Oliver Laxe, originally conceived for the Reina Sofía Museum and now adapted to a new spatial setting.

The project is connected to the creative process behind Sirāt, the film that jointly won the Jury Prize at Cannes in 2025, received six Goya Awards and was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2026.

The installation brings several recurring themes from Laxe’s cinema into the exhibition space:

• The relationship between the body, music and movement.
• The search for a spiritual dimension.
• The memory contained in gestures and landscapes.
• The possibility of dissolving the self through dance.

The title is inspired by a verse by the Persian poet and mystic Rūmī. In this sensory experience, the dancing body becomes a space for memory, transcendence and transformation.

Important information for visiting Tabakalera

The two exhibitions overlap between 17 July and 12 October 2026, allowing you to discover both during the same visit.

• Where: Tabakalera, Plaza de las Cigarreras, 1.
• Exhibition opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, including public holidays, from 11:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00.
• Admission: Free.
• Tip: Check the programme before your visit, as guided tours, workshops and other activities related to the exhibitions may also be available.

Complete your cultural itinerary by exploring the Egia neighbourhood, walking through Cristina Enea Park or continuing towards Gros and Zurriola Beach.

Stay surrounded by art in San Sebastián

For travellers who want culture to become the central theme of their trip, One Shot Tabakalera House is located inside the International Centre for Contemporary Culture. Staying in the same building allows you to explore the exhibitions at your own pace and continue discovering Donostia on foot.

In San Sebastián, art does not have to be a single stop on your itinerary. It can accompany you throughout your entire stay.