In 2006, the Provincial Council of Granada celebrated a decade of artistic achievement with an exhibition marking the 10th anniversary of the Manuel Rivera Scholarship, the province’s prestigious award for studying art abroad.

Titled Becados Manuel Rivera, the show featured all past recipients of the coveted scholarship and took place in the elegant Palacio de los Condes de Gabia in Granada. To accompany the exhibition, a 158-page catalogue was published, showcasing every work on display alongside detailed profiles of the participating artists.

Among the featured contributors was Paco Pomet, who had completed his studies at the School of Visual Arts in New York in 2004 through the scholarship. Pomet presented several works, including six pieces created during his stay in the city that never sleeps.

Reflecting on his experience, Pomet wrote the following in his statement contained within the yellow pages at the back of the catalogue:

“When I arrived in New York, I had a series of innovations in mind for my painting, believing the city was the perfect place to develop them. But I soon abandoned that plan. The sheer spectacle of humanity overwhelmed me, and I found myself compelled simply to wander, absorb, and experience everything I could during those three months. That immersion left its mark on my work, making it more open, skeptical, ironic, and measured.”

The exhibition’s success led to a second showing the following year at the Centro-Museo Vasco de Arte Contemporáneo in Vitoria.