The one who was Minister of Culture in the first government Pedro Sanchez, Joseph Guiraodied in Madrid at the age of 64 from cancer, which was diagnosed 16 months ago.
Guirao (Pulpi, Almería, 1959) served as Minister of Culture and Sports for nineteen months, 9 of them in office, between 2018 and 2020, after being replaced Maximum Garden.
The former minister has worked as a cultural manager since the age of 24 and has been an expert in Spanish art associated with the Spanish avant-garde since the 1990s. Director of the Museum of the Reina Sofia National Center for the Arts (1994-2001), La Casa Encendida (2002-2014) and the Montemadrid Foundation, a position he held until the end of 2021, when he informed the Board of Trustees of his decision to leave the management of the Foundation.
A wake will be open from 4:00 pm this Monday at San Isidro Funeral Home, where a funeral for family and friends will be held Tuesday at 12:00 pm, after which he will be cremated.
Jesús Núñez, President of the Board of Trustees of the Montemadrid Foundation and Alfonso J el Sabio University, underlined, according to Europa Press, “the importance of the figure of José Guirao in the field of culture, in which He held positions of maximum responsibility“. Likewise, he recalled that the former minister “is part of the history of the Montemadrid Foundation, which he knew how to lead and place it among the most significant institutions of this country in areas such as social activities, education or culture.” All of us who is part of this fund, deeply regrets its loss, ”Nunez added.
Amaya de Miguel, Director General of the Montemadrid Foundation, expressed her regret at the death of José Guirao, who was connected not only by professional relations, but also by friendship. “Was the standard of cultural management in this country, which helped to update and move to the fore. I was fortunate to share part of this journey with him and to see his human and intellectual growth. I keep this memory,” added De Miguel.
After earning a degree in Latin American Philology, he began his political career in 1983 as head of the cultural department of the Provincial Council of Almería, a position he held until 1987.
Then, in June 1988, he was appointed Director General of the Department of Cultural Property of the Ministry of Culture and Environment of the Andalusian Junta. In this position, he carried out the reforms of the Museum of Fine Arts in Seville, the restoration of San Telmo and the monastery of La Cartuja, and also led the project of the Andalusian Center for Contemporary Art.