Exhibitions in Madrid

Museo Reina Sofía · Nouvel Building, Library and Documentation Centre, Space D

Milk, Snow, Tear, Hand

Blanca Sánchez’s Art of Making and Being

Jun 26 to Oct 9

Free Last weeks

This exhibition, 'Milk, Snow, Tear, Hand. Blanca Sánchez’s Art of Making and Being,' delves into the multifaceted practice of Blanca Sánchez Berciano (Madrid, 1948–2007). Her work is presented as inseparable from her life and existence, highlighting her role as a curator, cultural manager, and collector. The exhibition emphasizes her creative drive, particularly her use of Camp aesthetics in collage as a method for constructing a personal visual and conceptual reality. After living abroad, Sánchez returned to Madrid in 1971 and embarked on a forty-year career, collaborating with galleries like Vandrés and Vijande, and the Círculo de Bellas Artes. While the show offers insights into Madrid's

Blanca Sánchez Berciano

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Espacio Fundación Telefónica

Quantum Revolution

May 7 to Oct 11

Last weeks

The exhibition 'Quantum Revolution' delves into the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics and quantum computing. It explains their workings and the significant challenges they pose. This exhibition highlights a profound leap in scale, with the potential to address problems currently insurmountable for classical computing. It traces the origins of quantum physics from unexpected discoveries in the early 20th century that challenged established scientific notions of space, time, and causality. Over a century later, this intellectual revolution continues to drive contemporary technology. The practical application of quantum mechanics in the mid-20th century led to transformative advances

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CentroCentro · Floor 4

X Biennial of Contemporary Art by Fundación ONCE

Jul 1 to Oct 11

Free Last weeks

CentroCentro presents the 10th edition of the Biennial of Contemporary Art Fundación ONCE, marking two decades of dedication to creation, accessibility, and inclusion. The exhibition's central theme is 'illusion,' explored as a means to perceive, construct, and transform reality through art. 'Illusion' is interpreted not as deception, but as a potent creative force, encompassing both sensory perception and hopeful enthusiasm. This theme serves as a critical, sensory, and poetic tool, opening up new possibilities and converging perception, truth, and aesthetic experience. The exhibition features over 30 artists, both with and without disabilities, highlighting the ONCE Foundation's commitment

Boa Mistura · Daniel Canogar · Paloma Navares · Cristina García Rodero · Joan Fontcuberta · Carlos Garaicoa

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Museo Reina Sofía · Sabatini Building, Floor 1

Felix Gonzalez-Torres

Sweet Revenge

May 27 to Oct 12

Last weeks

This exhibition, "Sweet Revenge," marks the first major presentation of Felix Gonzalez-Torres's work in Madrid. The Cuban-born American artist's practice, known for its emotional depth and political commentary, continues to hold significant relevance today. Madrid held a special, complex place in Gonzalez-Torres's life, influencing his early art and appearing throughout his career. He first visited Madrid in 1971 as a child escaping the Cuban regime, later moving to Puerto Rico and then New York. His return to Madrid in 1991 for a group show was a pivotal moment, where he debuted "Untitled" (Revenge), a sculpture of blue candies, reflecting on his homecoming as "sweet revenge." The exhibitio

Felix Gonzalez-Torres

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CentroCentro · Floor 2

Carlos Cartaxo. In-sítu

Sep 9 to Oct 18

Last weeks

This site-specific installation by Carlos Cartaxo, titled 'In-sítu', is presented as part of the 'EPICENTRO' program, which supports mid-career artists. The exhibition explores contemporary abstraction and Neo-Constructivist tendencies. It aims to alter the viewer's perception of space, imbuing it with new meanings and reflecting the transient nature of human experience. The installation is a three-dimensional relief that blurs the lines between expanded painting and free-standing sculpture. It marks a spatial transition, with fragmented planes and changing directions creating a pictorial assemblage. The work presents multiple viewpoints simultaneously, with forms folding and unfolding. Geom

Carlos Cartaxo

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Museo del Romanticismo · Sala del Encuentro

El artista en Italia

Until Oct 18

Free Last weeks

This exhibition, 'El artista en Italia,' delves into the artistic learning journeys to Italy undertaken by Spanish artists in the mid-19th century, prior to the establishment of the Spanish Academy in Rome. It showcases drawings by Federico de Madrazo (1815-1894), Luis de Madrazo (1825-1897), and Vicente Palmaroli (1834-1896) from the collection of the National Museum of Romanticism. These works illustrate the formative period of artists who sought to study the art of Roman antiquity, the Italian Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. They aimed to emulate the styles of great masters such as Michelangelo, Raphael, and Giotto. The exhibition highlights the local popular types encountered by these

Federico de Madrazo · Luis de Madrazo · Vicente Palmaroli

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CentroCentro · Main floor

EPICENTRO

Until Oct 18

Last weeks

EPICENTRO is a program of 'appointed artists' designed as a dynamic space for visibility and opportunity. It specifically promotes mid-career artists, recognizing their work's quality, professional trajectory, and contribution to the current art scene. Throughout the year, five artists are invited to create a unique, large-format piece specifically for the space. Each intervention lasts up to six weeks and includes a public talk where the artist shares their process, career, and vision, offering a direct and personal connection to their practice. The exhibition program showcases a series of distinct interventions, each with its own dates and featured artist. These include works by Illán Argü

Illán Argüello · María Oriza · Jose Quintanilla · Isabel Gómez Liebre · Carlos Cartaxo

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Matadero Madrid · Casa del Lector

Europa ilustra

Contemporary European Illustration Exhibition

Until Oct 18

Free Last weeks

The fourth edition of Europa Ilustra, a premier event for contemporary illustration in Madrid, showcases works by eleven illustrators from various European countries. Organized by the EUNIC Madrid network and Casa del Lector, the exhibition presents a visual exploration of diverse styles, techniques, and narratives. It features artists from Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, the Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden, and Wallonia-Brussels. The collection offers a pluralistic perspective, blending fantasy, visual poetry, and graphic experimentation. Themes of identity, memory, and nature are explored through the artists' works. Notable artists present at the opening includ

Anna Horak · Miila Westin · Pauline Barzilaï · Gaya Wisniewski

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Museo Arqueológico Nacional · Sala de exposiciones temporales. Planta -1

Misterios de la materia. Ciencia del patrimonio en las colecciones del MAN

May 27 to Oct 18

Free Last weeks

This exhibition, curated by the National Archaeological Museum (MAN) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), showcases pieces exclusively from the MAN's collection. These artifacts are viewed through the lens of science and technology, highlighting the valuable information they provide for understanding, conserving, and disseminating heritage. The exhibition features a careful selection of emblematic works as well as lesser-known pieces from the MAN's collections. It aims to make accessible to visitors the concepts, techniques, and methods of 'heritage science,' demonstrating its spectacular advances and fundamental contribution as a transdisciplinary field of research. The exhibit

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Espacio Fundación Telefónica · 4 planta

Robert Frank & The Americans

May 29 to Nov 1

This exhibition showcases the complete series of "The Americans," Robert Frank's seminal photographic project from the mid-1950s. The project critically examined the inequalities, consumerism, and social tensions prevalent in the United States during that era. Published in 1958, these iconic images were groundbreaking for their raw honesty, revealing aspects of American life that were often overlooked or ignored. Robert Frank, a pioneer in redefining photography as an art form, transformed how the world is viewed through a camera lens. This exhibition, curated by David Campany and supported by the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, offers a chance to revisit one of the 20th century's most

Robert Frank

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CentroCentro · Floor 5

María Lara

The Slowness of Light

Jun 25 to Nov 15

Free

María Lara, born in 1940, was once considered a 'secret painter' due to her private studio practice. However, she is now gaining significant recognition. This exhibition, "The Slowness of Light," curated by Armando Montesinos, showcases nearly 40 works spanning her last twenty-five years. Her art is characterized by rigorous research, patient determination, and a strong aesthetic intensity. Lara's paintings focus on the intrinsic qualities of the medium, eschewing descriptive or literary content. Her work aligns with Minimalism in its directness, presenting the reality of format, size, vibrant chromatic fields, and clear compositional structures. These are organized around linear divisions,

María Lara

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La Casa Encendida · Room A

The Circle Project. Bouchra Khalili

Sep 10 to Nov 29

This exhibition revisits and expands upon Bouchra Khalili's project developed at MACBA in 2023. It features works exploring the silenced histories of collective emancipation, focusing on workers' movements and civic struggles. The exhibition examines the Arab Workers’ Movement (MTA) and its theatre groups, Al Assifa and Al Halaka, founded by undocumented Maghrebi workers in France in the 1970s. These groups were pioneers in advocating for immigrants' rights to equal labor, housing, and cultural self-representation. The exhibition comprises two video installations, 'The Circle' and 'The Storytellers,' and a mural titled 'Timeline for a Constellation.' These elements create a space where histo

Bouchra Khalili

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Fundación Canal · Mateo Inurria 2 Hall

DANTE'S INFERNO. DORÉ AND RAUSCHENBERG

Oct 7 to Jan 5, 2027

Free

Dante's Inferno, a seminal work of 14th-century literature and the first part of the Divine Comedy, continues to captivate imaginations with its depiction of the nine circles of hell, sin, and the condemned. This exhibition at Fundación Canal uniquely brings together two complete series dedicated to Inferno by Gustave Doré and Robert Rauschenberg. For the first time, these two distinct interpretations, created nearly a century apart, are presented in dialogue. The exhibition features 76 woodcuts by Doré, created in the 19th century, showcasing a dramatic, monumental, and medievalist aesthetic. These are juxtaposed with 35 offset lithographs by Rauschenberg, produced in the 1960s, offering a

Gustave Doré · Robert Rauschenberg

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La Casa Encendida

continents like seeds. La Chola Poblete, Niño de Elche, Pedro G. Romero

Sep 10 to Jan 10, 2027

This exhibition, 'continents like seeds', features the work of La Chola Poblete, Niño de Elche, and Pedro G. Romero. These artists delve into the enduring impact of colonial histories on contemporary bodies, objects, and culture. Their practices offer fresh perspectives on colonial pasts and the persistent forms of resistance against them. The exhibition utilizes sound, sculpture, drawing, and performance to examine the processes of appropriation, erasure, and transformation that have shaped identities and social imaginaries across the Atlantic. Rather than providing simple answers, the artworks foster critical engagement, destabilizing social and cultural categories for reclamation and rein

La Chola Poblete · Niño de Elche · Pedro G. Romero

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Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza · Postpop rooms

Kenny Scharf

Sep 29 to Jan 17, 2027

This exhibition at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza showcases the work of Kenny Scharf, a significant figure in the 1980s East Village art scene and a pioneer of contemporary urban art. Scharf is recognized for his contributions alongside artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, and his mentorship by Andy Warhol. The exhibition delves into Scharf's distinctive style, which blends popular culture and Surrealism with imaginative, anthropomorphic figures. His vibrant and energetic compositions are designed to create an immersive experience that is both intimate and forward-thinking. The display features a wide range of Scharf's artistic output, including paintings, sculptures, installati

Kenny Scharf

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Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza · Temporary exhibition rooms level -1

Seba Calfuqueo. Cautín

Oct 6 to Jan 17, 2027

This exhibition presents the first solo show in Europe by Mapuche artist Seba Calfuqueo, focusing on the Cautín River as a living territory rather than just a watercourse. The artist, born in Santiago, Chile in 1991, explores the Araucanía region, ancestral land of the Mapuche people, which has been shaped by colonial projects and resource extraction. Calfuqueo acts as a translator of the river's forces, using various artistic languages. Visitors will encounter zoomorphic ceramics depicting endemic species adorned with synthetic materials. Video animations revisit foundational Mapuche narratives. Embroidered paintings reinterpret the region using historical archives and local flora. The arti

Seba Calfuqueo

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Museo Reina Sofía

Manolo Millares

Sep 9 to Feb 16, 2027

This exhibition celebrates the centenary of the birth of Manolo Millares, a pivotal figure in Spanish Informalism and painting in the latter half of the 20th century. Born in 1926 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Millares was deeply influenced by his early encounters with Canary Islands history and the Guanche cultures. His artistic journey began with the Canary Island group Los Arqueros del Arte Contemporáneo (LADAC). In 1955, he moved to Madrid, immersing himself in the avant-garde of Abstraction. He was a co-founder of the influential El Paso group in 1957, which championed "revolutionary visual production" and contributed significantly to the development of Spanish contemporary art. Millar

Manolo Millares

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Museo Reina Sofía · Sabatini Building, Espacio 1

Eli Cortiñas

The Machine Dreams of Smoke

Sep 23 to Mar 8, 2027

This exhibition revisits and expands upon Eli Cortiñas's 2016 video-graphic work, "The Most Given of Givens," recently acquired by the Museo Reina Sofía. The show updates research initiated over a decade ago, exploring the intricate connections between the history of cinema, museum practices, and contemporary digital culture. Cortiñas critically examines the colonial apparatus that shapes our perception, imagery, and knowledge construction. The core work, "The Most Given of Givens," analyzes film as a twentieth-century machine that centralized image production, dictating represented bodies and legitimizing specific narratives. Through meticulous archival research on found footage, Cortiñas d

Eli Cortiñas

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Museo Reina Sofía · Retiro Park, Palacio de Velázquez

Fernando Sánchez Castillo

The Wayward Pearl

Jun 24 to Mar 8, 2027

Free

Fernando Sánchez Castillo's exhibition, "The Wayward Pearl," explores how art can challenge state narratives and dismantle symbols of power. The artist primarily uses sculpture to alter and displace iconography, revealing its constructed and contested nature. Sánchez Castillo examines monuments, gestures, and legends, asserting that history is a constantly evolving and conflictive field that impacts the present. His work functions as a critical device, intervening in the ways power constructs its authority and prompting viewers to question established orders and their inherent contradictions. The exhibition delves into the artist's method of working with historical remnants, altering materia

Fernando Sánchez Castillo

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Museo Nacional del Prado · Room 74 of the Villanueva Building

Christina of Sweden. A passion for sculpture

Until Jul 2, 2027

This exhibition explores the significant collection of classical sculptures assembled by Queen Christina of Sweden in Rome. These works, later acquired by Isabella Farnese, form a crucial part of the Museo del Prado's sculpture holdings. The display features sculptures from the Hellenistic period, Roman copies of Greek originals, imperial busts, and Baroque pieces incorporating classical fragments. It is presented in Room 74 of the Villanueva Building, offering a new interpretation of Christina's collecting personality. The exhibition showcases seventeen works, an increase from the previous nine, with greater diversity in materials and styles. It begins with portraits of the queen and heads

Sébastien Bourdon · Ercole Ferrata · Giulio Cartari · Francesco Maria Nocchieri

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CentroCentro · Floor 1

Cruz Novillo

Oct 8 to Jan 24, 2027

Free

This exhibition highlights the multifaceted nature and complexity of Cruz Novillo’s artistic practice, connecting recent works with his earliest series from the beginning of the 1970s. Historical pieces, such as those from his solo presentation at the São Paulo International Biennial in 1977, are shown alongside recent works, including the Diafragma decafónico de dígitos cycle created for the National Statistics Institute in 2024. The exhibition is organized around concepts that grounded his aesthetic and conceptual exploration: arithmetic, color, time, sound, and play. Cruz Novillo began his career as a commercial artist and later investigated geometric shapes and color. He developed a work

Cruz Novillo

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Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza · Classical rooms

Mauritshuis & Thyssen-Bornemisza: masterpieces

Oct 9 to Jan 10, 2027

This exhibition showcases an exceptional collection of 17th-century Dutch masterpieces, featuring twenty-five outstanding works on loan from the Mauritshuis in The Hague. The collaboration between the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Mauritshuis allows for a unique exchange of permanent collection pieces. In Madrid, these masterpieces are displayed in the newly designated classical rooms, offering a comprehensive view of the Dutch Golden Age. The exhibition delves into the historical connection between the Thyssen-Bornemisza family and the Netherlands, highlighting a long-standing passion for Dutch painting. The collection includes significant works from approximately 1615 to 1705.

Ambrosius Bosschaert I · Frans Hals · Hendrick Avercamp · Pieter Claesz · Rembrandt van Rijn · Gerard ter Borch

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La Casa Encendida · Room D, Room E

Piedra de toque. Cristina Garrido

Oct 9 to Mar 7, 2027

Cristina Garrido's exhibition, 'Piedra de toque', explores the concept of value through the lens of the Fundación Montemadrid collection and the history of El Monte de Piedad. The exhibition juxtaposes artworks from the collection with everyday objects, appraisal tools, and historical documents related to El Monte's activities of appraisal, lending, and conservation. The title 'Piedra de toque' refers to a touchstone, a tool historically used to test the purity of precious metals, symbolizing the exhibition's focus on how value is constructed and transformed. The exhibition highlights the material continuity between El Monte de Piedad, founded in 1702, and the present-day Fundación Montemadr

Cristina Garrido · Dalí · Miró · Canogar · Equipo Crónica · Amondarain

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Museo Nacional del Prado

Ricardo de Madrazo (1852-1917): dibujos y acuarelas

Oct 13 to Jan 17, 2027

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Fundación Juan March · Fundación Juan March Madrid

The Aesthetic Transition

Spain, 1960–2020

Oct 16 to Jan 10, 2027

This exhibition delves into the history of exhibiting art in Spain, focusing on the period from 1960 to 2020. It highlights the crucial role of public reception and institutional development in shaping the understanding and appreciation of modern and contemporary international art within the country. The exhibition examines how art was presented and perceived, noting a significant delay in Spain's engagement with global art movements compared to other Western nations. It traces the evolution from the 1960s, when the institutional landscape was nascent, through the transformative decades of the 1970s and 1980s, coinciding with Spain's transition to democracy. The narrative extends to the pres

Pablo Picasso · Henri Matisse · Andy Warhol · John Cage · David Hockney · Tania Bruguera

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Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza · Temporary exhibition rooms level 0

The Freudian Universe of Dalí

Oct 20 to Jan 24, 2027

This exhibition delves into the profound connection between the artistic output of Salvador Dalí and the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud. It explores how Freud's writings deeply influenced Dalí's visual aesthetic, particularly from the early 1920s when Dalí first encountered them in Madrid. The exhibition traces this fascination, which became an obsession, culminating in their famous meeting in London in 1938. Dalí's development of the "paranoiac-critical method" is highlighted as a direct result of his engagement with Freudian thought. The exhibition is structured chronologically into six sections, examining Dalí's entire career from his early life to his later works. It showcases

Salvador Dalí

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Museo Nacional del Prado

La ingeniería en el Prado, un puente entre el arte y la técnica

Oct 26 to Feb 21, 2027

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CentroCentro

Elena Jiménez

Oct 28 to Apr 18, 2027

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CentroCentro · Floor 3

Juana González

Untamed Painting

Oct 28 to Apr 18, 2027

Free

This exhibition, "Untamed Painting," showcases the work of Juana González, an artist whose approach to painting is influenced by Baroque masters like Velázquez, Titian, Goya, Rubens, and El Greco, while also drawing from Neo-Expressionist perspectives and the surrealist cinema of Buñuel and David Lynch. González explores themes of uncertainty, mystery, and interpretation, believing that ambiguity in art opens the door for viewers to engage their imagination. Her striking, theatrical canvases and drawings often depict scenes of magic and female rebellion, challenging perceptions of reality and bringing forth unresolved desires. The project at CentroCentro represents an "aesthetic expansion" f

Juana González

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CentroCentro

Teresa Moro

Oct 28 to Apr 18, 2027

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CentroCentro · Floor 3

The moment is a living seed

Oct 28 to Apr 18, 2027

Free

The exhibition "The moment is a living seed" explores the elusive nature of the present, which constantly shifts and transforms. Drawing inspiration from Clarice Lispector's "Água Viva," the show delves into the idea that the instant we try to capture it, it has already become something else. However, within this flux lies the potential for what is yet to come. The exhibition features site-specific projects by eight contemporary artists: Adela Angulo, Natalia Cardoso, José Casas, Livia Daniel, Julieta Hsiung, Rubén Ojeda Guzmán, Maya Pita-Romero, and Pablo Quesada. Their works are characterized by subtle actions such as gathering, sustaining, breathing, and writing. These minor acts, like sm

Adela Angulo · Natalia Cardoso · José Casas · Livia Daniel · Julieta Hsiung · Rubén Ojeda Guzmán

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Museo Reina Sofía · Sabatini Building, Floor 0

Miguel Ángel Rojas

The Night

Nov 11 to Mar 15, 2027

Miguel Ángel Rojas, born in Bogotá in 1946, is a prominent figure in Latin American art with a career spanning fifty years. His work critically examines social and political issues in Colombia, including narco-trafficking, violence, education, migration, decolonization, and resource exploitation. Rojas is also recognized for his exploration of homosexuality and its intersections with art, often drawing from his mixed-race and Indigenous heritage. The exhibition "The Night" delves into themes of darkness, using charcoal to map eroded territories and decry the devastation of the Amazon by capitalist extractivism. Rojas's art consistently occupies the margins, confronting tragedy with a profoun

Miguel Ángel Rojas

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CentroCentro

Laura Lio. Sobre/salto

Nov 12 to Mar 28, 2027

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Museo Reina Sofía · Nouvel Building, Floor 0

La Menesunda According to Marta Minujín

Nov 18 to Mar 8, 2027

This exhibition reconstructs Marta Minujín's seminal 1965 immersive installation, 'La Menesunda'. Originally created with Rubén Santantonín, the work transformed the spectator-artwork relationship by replacing contemplation with multi-sensorial experience and active participation. The version presented at the Museo Reina Sofía is based on research from 2015, conducted in collaboration with Minujín, to recreate the environment from archival materials. 'La Menesunda', whose name in Argentine slang means 'mixture' or 'confusion', encompassed diverse artistic mediums and sensory stimuli, blurring the lines between art and daily life. It reflected 1960s avant-garde concerns such as mass culture,

Marta Minujín

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Círculo de Bellas Artes · Picasso Room &bullet Goya Room &bullet Minerva Room &bullet Ballroom &bullet Hall

The Assault of Illusion

Nov 18 to Apr 25, 2027

Free

The Assault of Illusion is an exhibition that delves into art's capacity to create illusions and deceptions, examining how it has shaped our perception of reality throughout history. It tackles contemporary concepts like post-truth and power dynamics, exploring the mechanisms behind the creation of fictions. The exhibition guides visitors through the sophisticated techniques of artistic deception, revealing complex power relations. It prompts a critical reflection on art's historical role in developing these techniques. In an era of deep fakes and AI, the exhibition questions whether art's role should now be to expose these methods. The exhibition is co-produced by the Santa Mònica Art Cente

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CentroCentro

Carlos Franco

Dec 17 to May 16, 2027

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Fundación Juan March · Fundación Juan March Madrid

Roberto Burle Marx

Mar 5, 2027 to Jun 13, 2027

This exhibition presents a comprehensive survey of the work of Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, highlighting his status as a versatile and interdisciplinary artist within international modernism. Although widely recognized in academic circles, his work is less known to the broader European public. The exhibition aims to introduce visitors to an artist who revolutionized twentieth-century landscape architecture, integrating avant-garde and Modern Movement design principles into the natural world. Burle Marx's pioneering concern for social and ecological issues is also emphasized, showcasing his role as a passionate advocate for environmental conservation. The exhibition featu

Roberto Burle Marx

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