More than 70 backlit photographs on billboards show a unique view of the city coinciding with Tourism Week
«Benidorm, tierra de luz»: José Palanca's unique look illuminates the Espais d'Art Urbà
José Palanca invites you to discover "another Benidorm" through panoramic views taken from rooftops, hills and mountains
Benidorm debuts the open-air exhibition "Benidorm, Land of Light," a show by photographer José Palanca that brings together more than 70 backlit images on billboards distributed throughout the city's urban art spaces.
The first tour of the exhibition, held at the Urban Art Space of Poniente, featured the participation of the artist, the mayor, Toni Pérez, the Councillor for Historical Heritage and Culture, Ana Pellicer, and other members of the City Council, as well as numerous residents.
The exhibition coincides with Tourism Week and is part of the commemoration of International Tourism Day, celebrated worldwide on September 27th. Benidorm has brought forward its main event to tomorrow, Wednesday the 24th. "We have chosen urban spaces so that everyone who walks through the city can enjoy it, better than in a closed room," the mayor emphasised.
José Palanca, a professor of business administration at the University of Valencia, an official tourist guide in Alicante and Valencia, is the director of the tourism consulting company Dima. He has dedicated his career to tourism promotion and is passionate about photography, having won awards in national competitions and contributed to national and international specialised magazines. "I wanted to show what many people who come to Benidorm don't see," he explained during the tour, encouraging visitors to explore "a wonderful environment" that, in his words, "when you go through the Mascarat tunnel, it's like entering Shangri-La."
Ana Pellicer emphasised that this is "an exhibition that occupies all the Urban Art Spaces that we are visiting today with the residents of Benidorm" and encouraged visitors to enjoy the photographer's talent.
The images, taken between 1990 and 2025, reflect the balance between the bright lights of a vibrant, colourful city and the sky and sea that maintain their appeal generation after generation, always under the watchful eye, precise framing, and light—natural or artificial—characteristic of Benidorm.
