On Monday, Mayor Francisco de la Torre hinted at this possibility and now councillor for culture Mariana Pineda and city council spokesperon Carmen Casero have officially confirmed their decision.

SUR asked Pineda how she assesses the cultural value of Ginés Serrán's work of art. She avoided giving a direct answer and instead highlighted the development and promotion of the work, the artist's talent and the ensemble's inclusion in the city's cultural heritage.

It goes without saying that if Picasso's family, for example, were to donate a piece to Malaga, the councillor would not hesitate to highlight the merits of the work.

The city council has accepted the artist's donation, without commissioning an expert valuation of the work. Consequently, the value of the statues remains unknown.

According to Pineda, Serrán's work embodies values associated with Malaga as a sea port. She, however, did not delve into an artistic analysis, as one might expect from an expert in the art world such as herself.

Pineda was formerly the director of Fundación Contemporánea: a highly prestigious cultural institution in Madrid.

It was the culture department that put the proposal before the local govering team. Pineda stated that donations are a "common and highly desirable" practice.

The next step, she said, will be to send a request from the city to the chairman of the port authority, Carlos Rubio, asking that the statues remain where they are.

Pineda stated that, over the next six months or a year, the city council is open to public debate to determine whether the statues should remain in their current location.

The transfer is at no additional cost to the city council, as Casero has reported. The press release issued later highlights the artist's letter of transfer and notes that it has been endorsed by 12,000 signatures.

Pineda stated that there are other artworks temporarily located in cities such as Madrid, where Jaume Piensa's Julia is on display, or Tony Craigg's work in Valencia, or The Bay Lights on the San Francisco bridge.

"We want the debate to remain open, but we must be cautious while showing absolute respect for the artist," Pineda said.

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