IVAM — Institut Valencià d'Art Modern

The IVAM (Institut Valencià d'Art Modern) was Spain's first public museum of modern art, and it's still the place in València for 20th-century and contemporary art. Its collection centers on the sculptor Julio González, regarded as the father of iron sculpture, and includes historic avant-gardes, photography and a programme of temporary exhibitions that changes regularly.

History

The IVAM was created in 1986 by the Valencian Parliament, and its main home, the Centre Julio González, opened in 1989 in the Carme district. The collection's starting point was the acquisition of 360 works by Julio González, which give the centre its name and form the largest single holding of the artist anywhere in the world.

What to see

• The Julio González collection, with the pioneering ironwork that reshaped 20th-century sculpture.
• The holdings of Ignacio Pinazo and the international avant-garde.
• The temporary exhibitions, a regular fixture on the Valencian cultural calendar.

Practical tips

• It's in the Carme, beside the Centre del Carme, the Museu d'Etnologia and the Casa-Museu Benlliure.
• Open Tuesday to Sunday. There are free-entry slots (usually Sundays and some weekday afternoons), so it's worth checking the current schedule.
• Slot it into a day of affordable museums with our guide to free things to do.

Insider tip

Few visitors know that an archaeological find is hidden beneath the museum: the Sala de la Muralla, a roughly 68-metre stretch of València's medieval city wall begun in 1356, built into the basement alongside the rooms devoted to Pinazo. Excavations even turned up 11th-century taifa-era pottery. Going down to see it means moving from the avant-garde of iron to medieval València inside the same building. From there, the Carme connects on foot to other places in the historic centre.