In the picturesque district of The Valdésbelonging to the Malaga municipality of Moclineis one of the best kept secrets in the province: the Casa Museo Axarquía. This unique space, devised and built by Antonio Montañezhas transformed the environment into an authentic outdoor art gallery that pays tribute to local tradition and crafts. “It seems taken from a story,” their visitors usually comment.
Inspired by the work of the Catalan architect Antonio GaudíAntonio Montañez has decorated his home, the well -known Axarquía Museum House, as well as a good part of the urban environment of the village, with mosaics, sculptures, murals and decorative details that evoke the most colorful and organic modernism.
From its outer walls Tile covers Even undulating banks, symbolic sources and figures that populate the environment, everything emits a special energy that awakens the imagination. Curved forms, recycled materials And the vibrant use of color turns this corner into an aesthetic experience for visitors, far removed from traditional rural architecture.
But Montañez’s work is not limited only to the visual. The house museum houses Between 100 and 150 works of artand each of them tells its own history and contributes to the cultural legacy of the place. Many of the pieces represent daily scenes of the rural world or messages about the relationship between the human being and nature.
In addition, Montañez pays an emotional tribute to the group of the pickup with the creation of a playground that is equipped with ceramics and figures that refer to the influence that the landscape of the town had shaped.
Antonio Montañez, neighbor of the district of El Valdés and promoter of the Axarquía Museum HouseMoclinejo City Council
The ‘gaudí of the axarchy’
Considered the ‘Gaudí de la Axarquía’, this self -taught artist, Old masonhe has been spending his free time for more than 15 years. He has done it With hardly any institutional aidsdriven only by his passion towards art and the need to express his vision of the world.
The impact of his work has attracted visitors from all over Spain and beyond. Tourists, curious, art and architecture students move to Valdés to learn first hand this unique project. The small rural nucleus, which once fought against oblivion and depopulation, today receives a constant flow of visitors that boost the local economy and revitalize the area.
From the top of the town, the views of the Mediterranean and the wavy landscape of the axarchy complete the sensory experience. Walking through its streets is almost an immersion In an alternative worldwhere time stops and art becomes a way of life.
This project demonstrates how art can transform a community, revaluing the place and generating a feeling of belonging. Moclinejo has been included in the network of Magical peoples of Spain for its beauty, culture and history. The City Council supports the initiative, with the aim of consolidating Valdés as a cultural reference in the province and attracting new opportunities for the area.
