"I tried to save as many paintings as possible by moving them upstairs until the water reached my chest," he tells The Art Newspaper. Olivares, who is internationally exhibited, returned to his studio the next day to find destroyed works, ruined tools and 20cm of mud. The basement stored a collection of his own pieces, two for every series he has produced throughout his career. "I haven't checked yet, but I don't think anything else can be saved," he says.
Catarroja's city council has since confirmed that the damage is so extensive that a reopening of the two institutions in 2025 is unlikely. In response to the humanitarian emergency, the artist Felipe Pantone launched Auction for Action, a fundraising effort to support Valencia's recovery. Pantone, whose studio was also badly damaged, organised an auction featuring donated works from international and Valencian artists.
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