Giant photography exhibition opens in Madrid

by Sean McLachlan on

Madrid is known for its fine art museums displaying paintings by Spanish and Dutch Masters, but every year it also hosts one of the largest photography exhibitions in Europe.

PHotoEspaña, the International Festival of Photography and Visual Arts of Madrid, has been going strong since 1998 and is a major event here, with exhibitions and workshops in dozens of museums and galleries around town.

One of the most interesting exhibitions is a retrospective of László Moholy-Nagy at the Circulo de Bellas Artes. This Hungarian artist (1895-1946) was an important part of the Bauhaus movement in prewar Germany and worked in all media. His photography and short films document Berlin before it got leveled, and his experiments with photograms and photomontage are still being imitated by less creative artists sixty years later.

“El Circulo” is worth seeing in its own right. It’s one of Madrid’s most popular art centers. There are spaces for three different exhibitions, a cool radio station, a movie theater, and one of the most beautiful cafes in Madrid. Even if you visit Madrid too late to see PHotoEspaña, do try and see El Circulo.

PHotoEspaña 2010 runs until July 25.

Photo of Madrid’s metro courtesy il lele via Gadling’s flickr pool. Nicely done. It should be in the show!

Madrid’s Reina Sofia museum is now free every day

by Katie Hammel on

Here’s some good news for budget travelers in Madrid. Following the lead of the Museo Nacional del Prado (which has been offering free hours each day it is open since 2007), the Reina Sofia will now offer a few hours of free admission every day as well.

Previously, the museum had charged €6 admission, except for Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings, when the fee was waived. But now it will offer free admission for a portion of each day that it is open, which is every day except Tuesday. Free hours will be from 7pm to close (9pm) on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, from 2:30pm to 9pm on Saturday, and from 10am until the 2:30pm closing time on Sunday. If you’re looking for just a small sampling of the modern and contemporary art housed at the Reina Sofia, swing by for a few free hours of browsing. If you’re a dedicated art-lover, spread your visit out over a several evenings to get your art fix without spending a single euro. Either way, you’ll get more art for less money, almost any day of the week.

Travel to Spain is down this year, except in Madrid, where it actually increased by about 6%. With cheaper opportunities for viewing art, Madrid’s tourism numbers may continue to increase, especially among travelers on a smaller budget.