Innovative Pop up Art Showcases in Madrid this Winter
As the semester comes to an end, you probably find yourself looking for fun activities to do with your friends to end the year on a high note. The weeks before the holidays can be very fast-paced and busy as everyone is trying to finish up their responsibilities so that they can enjoy the holidays. With the stress of finals, immersing yourself in the art may be the perfect distraction that will allow you to relax.
Art is the perfect escape from reality that allows people the chance to enjoy and appreciate the beauty in life. It enables us to connect with one another and experience things through different lenses. Listening to great music, looking at a magnificent art piece, or watching someone dance can re-inspire us to achieve our goals and focus on what we find important. Art allows us to enjoy each other’s company and share a laugh or a smile with friends. These last couple of weeks before the end of the semester are the perfect times to hang out with friends and go explore Madrid and the art this beautiful city has to offer.
Madrid is a city known for its culture and museums. Although it has many permanent exhibits and museums that feature the rich cultural heritage of Spain, it is likely that as someone living in such a marvelous city, you’ve already seen many of these cultural landmarks.
We get so wrapped up in our busy schedules that we overlook the art that is all around us. Art is not always as clearly identifiable as paintings in a museum, and not all aspects of art are enjoyed by everyone. Naturally each person has their taste, and things they enjoy more than others. When it comes to art you should not limit yourself to what you know you enjoy because art is about challenging and revealing the truth about ourselves and society.
Art is multidimensional and present in almost everything around us, so it may be difficult to identify or even look for in our busy everyday lives. You must challenge yourself to look for new events and art exhibits. With so much to see in such a big city, looking for places to experience art can be complex.
For such a reason, here is a list of some art events happening in Madrid this winter to check out. Many of these pieces are new artists or adaptations of classical artists that include many genres of art.
Dalí challenge
Dalí was an artist that was always challenging norms and used the newest technologies and mediums to create masterpieces. Dalí challenge is an immersive experience that uses 60 of Dali’s most famous artworks and uses augmented reality, and virtual reality to create an interactive experience. The reason for this type of experience is so that the audience can truly enter into Dalí’s mind and blur the lines between surrealism and its somewhat grotesque characteristics and reality as we see it.
The topic of digital art is controversial because many do not see the value of not seeing the original pieces. However, before immediately rejecting such art, it is important to consider that digital art allows for a larger audience to be exposed to certain artists because the exhibits can occur anywhere in the world, and for a longer period of time. Digital art is taking away barriers and in some sense surpassing what Dalí could have imagined for his art and its coming to life.
This exhibit is going to be on display until March 7th at Espacio 5.1, and tickets for students are 17.50€. This is a great place to check out if you are interested in the emerging digital art fields, or if you would like to learn more and experience something new.
Whitney Houston Hologram Tour
Whitney Houston was an American singer with one of the most identifiable and unique voices in R&B and Gospel. This concert brings the artist back to life through a realistic hologram that performs some of her most influential songs.
The hologram is a tribute to the artist and goes through the 3 decades of her career. The Bankia Symphonic Orchestra, made up of twenty live musicians, performs the repertoire alongside the hologram. A holographic performance allows for the legacy of Whitney Houston to continue and to reach new audiences. This performance will be at the Gran Teatro Caixabank Principe Pío on December 3rd &17th, and prices start at 18€.
La Compañía Nacional de Danza
The National Company of Dance has a rich history of forty years and focuses on many styles of dance. Directed by Joaquín De Luz, and with the help of prominent guest choreographers Valentino Zucchetti, and Ricardo Amarante, the National Company is performing a show made up of these original and some futuristic pieces. The show begins with Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, by George Balanchine, one of the prominent choreographers of the early 20th century, and features music from the third act of Swan Lake like nothing you’ve ever heard. Where you are, I feel is Zucchetti’s first piece with the company and explores the individuality and necessity to express our own feelings in love.
Love Fear Loss, choreographed by Ricardo Amarante, is a ballet inspired by the life of French singer’s life, Edith Piaf. It depicts many of the emotional elements of her music and transforms it into a story transmitted through dance. Passengers Within, is choreographed by the director of the company Joaquín De Luz, and is a reflection of modern society. The piece shows our society’s fixation with consumerism and social media and how we are enslaved to a system we have created.
This performance took place from the 1st of December to the 8th of December at Teatros del Canal, and tickets will range from 9€ to 30€ depending on where you choose your seat. In my experience of ballet performances it is best to sit in the Orchestra seats towards the middle so you can truly see the continuation of lines created by the dancers’ bodies. This is the perfect event for dressing up and experiencing an extravagant night at the theater.
There are many other aspects of art that I was not able to cover in this article, however, whether you see a billboard promoting a showcase or a street artist performing, open your mind and let yourself travel to wherever the artist wishes to transport you. These non-traditional art showcases challenge how we define art and create new boundaries for creativity. Immersing yourself in art, especially when it’s something you wouldn’t traditionally enjoy, might surprise what emotions it evokes in you.
