The institution explained that the decision is part of a process to grow and scale the museum, particularly after the renovation and reopening of the Bilbao Basque Museum. The update of the management profile was deemed "necessary," incorporating a figure who will place greater emphasis on the artistic sphere, given that recent years' evolution has expanded the project's reach and will be key to advancing the objectives outlined in the action plan.
Xabier Paya will not act alone; he will join Sorkunde Aiarzaga in the management team, who will retain the role of managing director. Together, they will jointly lead the management of the Museos Bilbao Bizkaia entity, which oversees, among others, the recently rebuilt Basque Museum, the Museum of Reproductions of Bilbao, the archaeological site of the old convent of San Francisco, and an external storage facility.
The institution announced that among the new management's main lines of work will be consolidating the museum as a benchmark for Basque culture, strengthening its international projection, and fostering closer ties with the Basque cultural ecosystem. The aim is for the museum to become a meeting point for the local cultural sector, creators, citizens, and visitors to Bizkaia.
Xabier Paya was born in Getxo (1982) and holds a degree in Translation and Interpretation from the EHU. He has pursued further studies, including a postgraduate degree in the Transmission of Basque Culture (Mondragon Unibertsitatea), a postgraduate degree in Basque Studies (Eusko Ikaskuntza), a master's degree in museum management and direction (CLEA), an Executive MBA (EHU), and a master's degree in Modern European Cultures (University of Birmingham). Professionally, he served as director of Getxo Kultura from 2021 to 2026 and also worked in cultural direction at the San Sebastián 2016 European Capital of Culture Foundation.
