Iberdrola Celebrates 125th Anniversary With Major Art Exhibition At The Reopened Bilbao Fine Arts Museum

Iberdrola marked an important milestone in its history with the opening of the exhibition Parallels and Meridians at the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. The event was led by Ignacio Galán, the company’s Executive Chairman, together with Imanol Pradales, the Lehendakari. The exhibition celebrates Iberdrola’s 125th anniversary and brings together more than one hundred significant works from the company’s corporate art collection. It also coincides with the museum’s reopening after a major expansion and refurbishment. The exhibition will remain open to the public until 30 August.

The opening ceremony brought together several prominent figures from regional and local institutions. Among those in attendance were Ibone Bengoetxea, First Deputy President and Minister for Culture and Language Policy, who also serves as President of the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum Foundation; Amaia Arregi, acting Mayor of Bilbao and acting Vice-President of the museum’s foundation; Elixabete Etxanobe, Deputy General of Bizkaia and member of the foundation; Ana Otadui, President of the General Assembly of Bizkaia; and Miguel Zugaza, Director of the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum.

The exhibition is a reflection of Iberdrola’s long-standing commitment to supporting art, culture, and the city of Bilbao—where the company was founded in 1901 under the name Hidroeléctrica Ibérica. Parallels and Meridians offers visitors a curated journey through different periods and themes represented in the Iberdrola Collection.

The exhibition is organised around two main ideas: the “parallels,” which trace an artistic timeline from the rise of modern art in the Basque Country in the late 19th century, through the post-1950s avant-garde movement, and into the global artistic expressions of today; and the “meridians,” which bring together the core themes reflected in the collection, such as light, nature, creativity, and work.

Beyond its artistic focus, the exhibition also highlights the company’s close relationship with Bilbao. As a city central to Iberdrola’s origins, electrification efforts, and future vision, Bilbao plays an important role in the story the exhibition seeks to tell. Through this initiative, Iberdrola reinforces its connection to the region and its dedication to promoting cultural heritage.