Fernando Vijande (Barcelona, 1929 – Madrid, 1986) founded Vandrés, dedicated to the sale of antiques, together with Gloria Kirby in 1971 to later convert their business into an art gallery -Galería Vandrés- .

Today we present a conversation with Marisa Torrente, who was co-director of the Galería Vandrés together with Fernando Vijande.

Vandrés was, in many ways, the beginning of the first Movida in Madrid, and introduced very young artists who would go on to become important representatives of Spanish contemporary art, such as Darío Villalba, Luis Gordillo and Antoni Muntadas, among many others.

In 1980 the New Images from Spain exhibition was held at the Guggenheim in New York, curated by Margit Rowell, with whom the Vandrés gallery had a close relationship during her trips to Spain. This exhibition would place Vijande on the international scene.

The Vandrés gallery closed its doors in 1980 and Fernando Vijande, now on his own, founded the Galería Vijande in 1981. With it he brought international figures such as Mapplethorpe and Warhol to Spain.