In February 2023, students on the International Studies module took a study trip to Madrid. A city rich in art and culture, Madrid is home to some of the world’s most renowned art museums. The famous ‘Golden Triangle’ of art includes: the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofia museum, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum.
The Prado Museum is the jewel of the Madrid art scene, considered to have one of the finest collections of European art from the 12th to the 19th century, including masterpieces like ‘Las Meninas’, ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’, and ‘Saturn Devouring his son’ – a must-visit for anyone interested in European art history.
The Reina Sofia Museum is dedicated to showcasing Spain’s 20th century masters, such as Pablo Picasso, Francis Picabia and Salvador Dali. The collection is diverse and features works from a broad variety of artistic movements.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza museum boasts an impressive collection of artworks across genres, including Italian Primatives, German Renaissance, and 19th century American art. During our visit, we were able to see a retrospective on the British painter, Lucian Freud.
The art scene in Madrid is not only limited to museums. We also visited contemporary art exhibitions, including ‘Glass is my Skin’ by Pauline Boudry and Renate Lorenz, a recreation of a large scenography focusing on cultural inheritance, gender discourse and queer theory located at the Palacio Cristal, within the striking glass and metal structure located in Madrid’s Retiro Park. Additionally, we visited Christine Sun Kim’s ‘The Super Bowl’ and ‘A String of Echo Traps’, as well as Dominique White’s ‘May you Break Free and Outlive Your Enemy’.
by Samantha Chang, studio 2
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