Presentation

It was inaugurated in 1990, after the rehabilitation made by the architects Junquera and Pérez Puta, and for a time, having a 250 m2 main hallit, was the largest open-plan exhibition space in the city.

It has been intermittently active (1990–1996, 2008–2010 y 2022-). During these periods ther took place important contemporary art collections, sometimes simultaneously with the Palacete, such as those of the Arco Foundation, Coca Cola, La Caixa and extensive exhibitions of artists such as Juan Uslé, Miguel Ángel Campano, Txomin Badiola, Jon Kessler, Xesús Vázquez and Soledad Sevilla. Among the landmark exhibitions were those by Albert and Markus Oehlen in 1990, and the first James Turrell exhibition in Spain, that was celebrated the following year. Both are the result of the close collaboration that has existed between the Menéndez Pelayo International University and the Santander Port Authority in the activities fo the summer programme.

After a break of almost 10 years, this gallery resumed its activity in 2006, devoting special interest to private collecting of contemporary art with two exhibitions of its own production: “Painting and Better Present” o “Story Book, Story Board” celebrated in 2009 and 2010 respectively and to the work of emerging artists, either individually or collectively, in collaboration with the General Direction for Youth of the Government of Cantabria, an outstanding example of which was the installation of Juan López in 2009.

In 2022 and on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Port of Santander, the Sotoliva Warehouse is refurbished and reopened with the exhibition "Portuaria: Does the Port have an art collection?", showing the art collections owned by the Port Authority of Santander.