MADRID
A treasure trove of museums and galleries, in Madrid you will find some of the most important collections and works of art from all centuries. The city is bursting at the seams and should you wish to take your time and absorb it all, repeat visits will be required.
ARCO
WEBSITE: WWW.IFEMA.ES
VISIT TIME: 3-4 HOURS
ARCOmadrid international trade fair happens annually mid-February and is a good time to visit the city. Most of the museums and galleries will have a programmed geared up to welcome the international art crowd descending the city. The fair is located a short drive from the centre and hosts Spanish and Latin American galleries, as well as some international favourites. It has gained in popularity in recent years, largely thanks to the rise in wealthy collectors (and their advisors) visiting the fair. The curated programme is usually interesting and, unusually for a trade fair, there are lots of activities about to occupy the kids. The organisers will pair with a latin American country every other year to highlight, which sets the tone and drives the agenda.
CAIXAFORUM
WEBSITE: WWW.OBRASOCIALLACAIXA.ORG
VISIT TIME: 20 MINUTES
I am not convinced by the exhibitions at CaixaForum… A space born of corporate responsibility (Caixa is one of the Major banks in Spain) it tries to be all things to all people. It is a cultural centre with exhibition spaces and an auditorium but the objectives are not exactly clear. The architecture, however, is pure genius with Herzog de Meuron working their power-station conversation magic. This time, the trick is levitation.
IVOYPRESS
WEBSITE: WWW.IVORYPRESS.COM
VISIT TIME: 20 MINUTES
This is a publishing house specialising in art books that opened a space to display art projects. This reverses the convention, and the space can be a bit confusing on entering as to what purpose it serves (shop? office? gallery?). But whatever it might be, it is beautifully executed. The vision is that of Elena Foster, the owner. The architecture is thanks to Sir Norman Foster, who also doubles up as Elena’s husband. What a team.
Fundación MAPFRE
WEBSITE: www.fundacionmapfre.org
VISIT TIME: 45 minutes - 1 hour
Following my last visit to MAPFRE, I felt compelled to add it to my list of where to go in Madrid. MAPFRE is an insurence company with various buildings throughout Spain though this one has been converted into galleries across three floors of exhibition space. They have a rich programme of temporary exhibitions. I saw the Rodin - Giacometti show which was honestly fantastic. They assembled a great range of works by both artists, as well as photographs and touch points where, for example, Giacometti had visited the works of Rodin. The curator was successful in conveying the story of the two artists making for a visual storytelling hour through art. I hope their future shows are of equal calibre.
MUSEO DEL PRADO
WEBSITE: WWW.MUSEODELPRADO.ES
VISIT TIME: 2 HOURS (MINIMUM)
Arguably this is the best museum in the world. The art is gorgeous. Totally breathtaking. The ‘highlights’ map will organise your visit and ensure you don’t miss the unmissable. The temporary exhibitions are wonderfully and usually tend to secure some wonderful loans (who would say no to a loan request from the Prado?!). They admirably use the temporary exhibitions to showcase international contemporary artists to their local audiences.
REINA SOFÍA
WEBSITE: WWW.MUSEOREINASOFIA.ES
VISIT TIME: 2 HOURS
The Reina Sofía houses the national collection of 20th-century art. It has a new extension designed by Jean Nouvel, apparently making it the largest museum of modern and contemporary art in the world. The collection reads like the ‘whose who’ in Spanish art including Picasso, Miro, Tapies and Dali, all represented by spectacular works. There is also a rich international presence and the exhibitions tend to be smart and focused.
SOROLLA MUSEUM
WEBSITE: WWW.MECD.GOB.ES
VISIT TIME: 45 MINUTES
Javier Mollins recommended: Joaquin Sorolla was born in Valencia in 1863 and is well known for his beautiful seascapes and paintings of the beaches of this Mediterranean town. He lived a big proportion of his life in a house located in the city centre of Madrid, which is also where he died in 1923. His widow donated the house and many of his works to the Government who transformed the house into the Sorolla Museum. There, the visitor will find some of the artists most popular paintings and discover why in Spain he is known as the ‘painter of light’. This museum and the Hispanic Society of America in New York are the definitive places to see and enjoy the works of Joaquin Sorolla.
THYSSEN-BORNEMISZA MUSEUM
WEBSITE: WWW.MUSEOTHYSSEN.ORG
VISIT TIME: 1.30 HOUR
The location of this museum is between the Prado and the Reina Sofia and the three are dubbed ‘the golden triangle’. Named after its founder (this used to be a private collection), the Thyssen plugs the gaps of its neighbouring collections. It has a good collection of Impressionist and Expressionist works. I usually go for their temporary exhibitions that have so far not ever let me down.
