PARIS, October 1st — We are pleased to announce the first auction, "ART + DESIGN: SPANISH MODERNISM 1950-1970," curated by interior architects Mafalda Muñoz and Gonzalo Machado (Machado-Muñoz / Casa Muñoz). The event will take place on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 7:00 PM at 54 rue Monceau, Paris. This landmark sale will reveal to collectors worldwide the extraordinary creative effervescence of the post-war Spanish scene.
"Spain is one of the last great territories of European modernity waiting to be discovered on the international market. While Italian, French, Scandinavian, and Brazilian design have occupied a recognized position in global collections for decades, the extraordinary Spanish production from the 1950s to the 1970s remains largely absent. This selection aims to bridge this gap and open a new realm for collectors."
Mafalda Muñoz & Gonzalo Machado
DARRO & The Masters of Modern Spanish Design
Founded in Madrid in 1959 by Paco Muñoz and Fernando Alonso-Martínez, Darro embodies the perfect synthesis of modern rationalism and traditional Spanish materials.
"Paco Muñoz was a pioneer, offering functional and accessible furniture in a Spain that was just emerging from the autarky of the 1940s and the cultural isolation of the Franco regime. He designed his own pieces while commissioning creations from the leading Spanish architects and designers of the era. Paco Muñoz was a friend to the great artists of his time — Antoni Tàpies, Manolo Millares, Jorge Oteiza — with whom he spent his summers exchanging DARRO furniture for paintings and sculptures. The sale's exhibition will recreate this fluid conversation between design and fine arts. Today, DARRO editions bring a true breath of fresh air to a design market heavily referenced around Italian, French, or American creations in which we already specialize," emphasizes Laura Wilmotte-Koufopandelis.
For the first time in an international auction, Darro is highlighted alongside its most iconic editors and designers (Equipo 57, Fernando Ramón Moliner, Miguel Fisac, Paco Muñoz & Estudio Técnico Darro).
xx Equipo 57 (1957-1962)
Lounge chair
Ash wood and steel
Edited by Darro
Model created in 1961
H 75 × L 72 × W 80 cm
Estimate : 7 000/9 000 €
xx Fernando Ramón Moliner (1929-2017)
Modular bookcase - Model 'TDC'
Painted steel and oak
Edited by Taller de Diseño y Construcción
Tejarres (TDC), then Darro from 1959
Model created in 1956
H 198 × L 306 × W 41 cm
Estimate : 8 000/12 000 €
Masterpieces of the Spanish Avant-Garde & Art Informel
Echoing the furniture, the sale brings together a selection of paintings and sculptures illustrating the expressive and material power of Iberian creators. The catalogue will feature a spectacular geometric sculpture in Corten steel by Pablo Palazuelo; an important work by Manolo Millares, registered in the Elvireta Escobio archives; a work on paper in India ink and collage by Eduardo Chillida; a remarkable textile sculpture in jute rope and macramé by Aurèlia Muñoz; an oxide-on-lava painting by Antoni Tàpies; an important oil on canvas by Luis Feito; as well as an original maquette for Joan Miró's lithograph Paysanne aux oiseaux.
Manolo Millares (1926-1972)
Untitled, 1962
Mixed media on canvas
Signed on the bottom left
Signed and dated on the stretcher
46 × 38 cm
Estimate : 150 000/200 000 €
PIASA's DNA: The Art of Building Thematic and Curated Auctions
True to its signature style, PIASA has established itself over the past several years as a pioneer in developing curated auctions that celebrate targeted artistic scenes and movements. Whether in design (French, American, Italian, Scandinavian, Brazilian) or visual arts — with pioneering sales dedicated to Contemporary African Art, Modern and Contemporary Greek Art, or movements such as Supports/Surfaces and Kinetic Art —, the house is committed to exploring and structuring markets with high cultural value.
"Gonzalo, Mafalda, and I had been following each other's work for a long time, as they particularly appreciate our editorialized and curated approach. During a meeting in Madrid a few months ago, the idea of designing this unprecedented project on the Spanish scene together came about naturally," explains Laura Wilmotte-Koufopandelis, Co-Director of the Modern and Contemporary Art Department at PIASA.
Pablo Palazuelo (1916-2007)
Sub-Rosa, 1985
Corten steel sculpture
H 160 × L 100 × W 156 cm
Estimate : 120 000/180 000 €
In Parallel: An Exceptional Collection of Ceramics by Pablo Picasso
Alongside this thematic sale, PIASA will present a single-owner private collection featuring 73 ceramics by Pablo Picasso, offering a complete immersion into 20th-century Iberian creative genius.
