The vibrancy that flows through Madrid’s streets is mirrored in this gallery, where illustration, urban art and pop surrealism come together. Each piece stands out, yet it all fits together to create an immersive experience. Expect wild festivals and exquisite fruit bowls, alongside works that spike the patriarchal canon of history with their ode to female friendship.

Reina Sofia Museum

While the Prado is the go-to destination for classical art, Reina Sofia provides a haven for modern lovers with its vast collection of 20th century Spanish and international work. The highlights include Picasso’s Guernica, works by Miro and Salvador Dali, and paintings from the Cubist era and beyond. Travelers say it’s worth booking a Reina Sofia tour led by an art historian or joining a free guided walk of the museum with a knowledgeable guide to fully absorb the collection in its full context.

The museum’s permanent collection is divided into three collections, with Collections 1 and 2 displaying art from 1900 to 1945 and 1945 to 1968. Collection 3 features works from 1962 to 1982. The museum also hosts numerous temporary exposiciones arte Madrid throughout the year. A recent highlight is “Invisible Cities,” which showcases memorabilia from TV series like “Los Tele-Rodriguez” and La Mesia, including props, costumes, press clippings and clapper boards. The museum also hosts immersive multimedia installations from artists such as Laure Prouvost.

Museo Sorolla

The House-Museum of Joaquin Sorolla has been furnished as it was during the painter’s lifetime. The downstairs rooms feature a wide selection of his paintings, while the upstairs areas are used for well-curated special temporary exhibitions.

The Valencian artist’s adroit representation of sunlit water and daytime light is evident throughout this collection. Works like The Horse’s Bath and Boys on the Beach are euphoric evocations of Mediterranean classicism.

Sorolla’s portrait of his youngest daughter shows her wearing a pleated Delphos gown, a style inspired by ancient Greek clothing. This was the first time that a piece of high fashion became valued for its artistic qualities rather than its practicality. Madrid Experience’s VIP Sorolla Tour takes you through the museum and gives you the chance to see this painting up close along with other important works from the painter’s oeuvre. The tour also gives you a closer introduction to Sorolla’s personal life and anecdotes surrounding his incredible oeuvre.

Espacio Valverde

Espacio Valverde is a gallery with a diversity of style and artistic approach, which keeps artists interested with a strong halo of creativity. And they ensured that this gallery will always be a place to share their artistic efforts and bring new ideas to the community.

The building is composed of two large rooms, and some have original cabinets and woodwork. A hail storm in the summer of 1993 destroyed two of its 14 rooms. The restructuring of the center included the construction of a new orientation, an aluminum sash and red woven windows.

Asela Perez Becerril and Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart have been at Espacio Valverde for several years. They have presented in several exhibitions and are the authors of “In the blissful night”, a staged series that is now presented at Planta1. Their work revisits pictorial portraits such as vanitas and still life, subverting the codes that characterize them. It is in particular a reflection on the relationship between time and landscape in painting.

Lavapies

Like a kaleidoscope, Lavapies offers a whirlwind tour of Madrid’s multiethnic immigrant neighborhood. Its steep streets are lined with everything from lively Indian restaurants to traditional Spanish taverns, while edgy art shows and concerts play at venues such as the Tabacalera cultural center.

The area has earned its reputation as a hub of urban art thanks to the defiant street art that adorns the walls here. From portraits of love to bold blendings of color synonymous with harmony, the messages convey a deep sense of peace that transcends the constructed barriers of difference.

The heart of the neighborhood beats in the four-story complex of the former Tabacalera tobacco factory, where a maze of underground corridors once housed tobacco storage and drying, now hosts art workshops and impromptu rock gigs. The Teatro Valle-Inclan, which serves as a guest stage for foreign theater companies, and the multipurpose venue of Circo Price, where concerts, shows and films are presented, also call the area home.

More Words

Get away from the tourist path and explore temporary exhibitions in this cultural centre that promotes contemporary art. Its program is well-rounded, challenging and thought-provoking. Patrimonio Nacional’s different areas share hundreds of items drawn from the palaces and monasteries under its stewardship.