We bring you part two of "Cultural Exhibitions in Madrid", this time loaded with marvels. After most of the summer's headline exhibitions in the capital have closed, October opens a new cycle that will end at Christmas with another wave of them.
As is normal, every four months new and carefully curated shows take the stage and open to the public, aiming to share fresh visions and reaffirm certain artists in our contemporary world. They're all within reach and there's a wide range of options. We suggest grabbing pen and paper and noting down the ones that interest you most.
Zuloaga in the Paris of the Belle Époque 1889 – 1914A new look at the work of the Spanish painter during his stay in the French capital. The Ignacio Zuloaga exhibition, a show focused on the Parisian period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, presents a side of the Basque artist more tied to modernity than to the image that links him to being a witness of the Spain in Black. Alongside these paintings are works by his contemporaries such as Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, Rodin and Gauguin, and pieces from the artist's own collection.
- Venue: Fundación Mapfre, Sala Recoletos.
- Until January 7
- Price: 3 euros
- Public transport: Metro Banco de España, Renfe Recoletos.
Nobel Women
A journey through the lives of eleven Nobel-winning women, told through their work. Plenty to say about women as scientists, writers and artists — something we don't usually see in textbooks. A highly recommended exhibition for understanding the perspective opposite to the one we're usually told.
- Venue: Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales
- Until March 20
- Price: 5.50 – 9.50 euros (special rates available)
- Public transport: Metro Gregorio Marañón
Picasso/Lautrec
For the first time, this exhibition proposes a comparison between the work of these two great geniuses of modernity. It primarily explores the influence the latter's work had on the Málaga-born artist through around a hundred works dealing with themes of the era — late-night cafés, cabarets, Parisian marginality, the circus, theaters and the raw universe surrounding them. In fact, it's presented as a comparative study of these two masters of modernity, who never actually met.
- Venue: Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
- From October 17 until January 21.
- Price: 12 euros
- Public transport: Banco de España, Recoletos
The Dance of the Silver Age
The Ballets Russes, Falla, Lorca and Argentinita are some of the protagonists of this overview of dance in the early 20th century. An exhibition right inside the Residencia de Estudiantes where you'll get a first-hand look at one of the best periods that the world of Dance ever lived through in our country and internationally.
- Venue: Residencia de Estudiantes
- October to April
- Price: Free
- Public transport: Metro Gregorio Marañón
Mariano Fortuny y Marsal (1838-1874)
A show inside the Jerónimos building that displays the exceptional output of Mariano Fortuny as a painter, watercolorist, engraver and draftsman. It pays special attention to his atelier and is a beautiful way to take a deep look at the artist's eye, at how he created and the importance the studio behind him had for him.
- Venue: Museo Nacional del Prado
- From November 21 to March 18
- Price: Check at the ticket counter
- Public transport: Metro Banco de España
Castelao the Graphic Artist. Paintings, Drawings and Prints
A didactic look at Castelao's visual work, especially his most famous illustrations, posters, designs and prints. Funny, witty and full of color is how we'd define this artist. Without a doubt, a curious show worth visiting.
- Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
- From September 29 to November 26
- Price: Free
- Public transport: Metro Sol or Sevilla
The Spirit of Painting / Cai Guo-Qiang at the Prado
The incredible artist Cai Guo-Qiang turns the Salón de Reinos of the former Palacio del Buen Retiro of Felipe IV into his private studio, creating an exhibition room within the very space where the works were created. Pieces that, of course, will leave no one indifferent. Part performance, part painting — something rarely seen in an institution like the Museo del Prado. Get out and see something different!
- Museo Nacional del Prado
- From October 25 to March 4
- Price: Check rates online
- Public transport: Metro Banco de España, Renfe Atocha
Alphonse Mucha
Images of seductive women, immortalized by his light, undeniably high-quality line, combined with innovative typographic models and designs. Mucha's Art Nouveau work comes to light from a new and different perspective that tries to bring the viewer intimately close to his imaginary world.
- Venue: Palacio de Gaviria
- From October 10 to February 25
- Price: 12 euros
- Public transport: Metro Ópera or Sol
Norman Foster. Common Futures
The signature architect Norman Foster arrives in Madrid through twelve exhibition sections that review the artist's ideas across broad and diverse topics of common interest. If you love architecture, this is your exhibition.
- Venue: Espacio Fundación Telefónica
- From October 6 to February 4
- Price: Free
- Public transport: Metro Gran Vía
Words Came with Ceramics
Built with care from the work of students at the Escuela de Cerámica de Moncloa, this exhibition reflects, among other things, on the importance of ceramics for our ancestors and the relevance it still holds today for understanding many South American or African tribes.
- Venue: Imprenta Municipal-Artes del Libro
- Until October 28
- Price: Free
- Public transport: Metro Sol or Tirso de Molina
Video Art
Three video creators and their work: The Wolf's Reasons by Carles Congost, Mater Amatísima by María Ruido, and Vollard's Accident by Pedro L. Cembranos. A show that renews their artistic careers and arrives in Madrid with real force.
- Venue: Fundación BBVA
- Until December 31
- Price: Free
- Public transport: Metro Banco de España
