👸🏻 The Tapa Weekend: December 6
The new royal portraits, an exhibit on Max Ernst and a couple of intense plays.
By @IanMount and @AdrianBono | December 6, 2024 | Madrid | Issue #78
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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend
It’s Friday again!
Let’s face it, while we’re here doing our research and writing until midnight about the best things for you to do this weekend in Madrid, chances are you’re going to ignore our recommendations and stay home.
To be fair, if any of them involve going to (or passing through) the downtown area, we would be staying home too. Downtown Madrid is a nightmare during the holidays, especially at night, with thousands of people walking around aimlessly, taking selfies with the lights. It’s like The Walking Dead meets From. What a time to be alive!
Enjoy! (Staying home until January, that is.)
1.⏱️ Exhibit: The Tyranny of Chronos
It’s great that we said you should ignore recommendations that make you go to downtown Madrid and the one at the top of this list is literally in Cibeles. Whoopsie!
It’s totally worth it, though, especially because you’ll get to see the new royal portraits by Annie Leibovitz you’ve been hearing so much about. We covered them last week, remember?
The Banco de España Exhibition Hall is not just hosting the exhibit by the American photographer and the royal couple, but it also features a selection of the institution’s most “treasured timepieces” (clocks, basically).
The exhibit includes more than 50 works by 24 artists or collectives, including tapestries, paintings, sculptures, photographs, and clocks. The oldest piece is Triumph of Love and Eternity Over Time, a tapestry by Jan Leyniers from 1684.
When it comes to royal portraits, this is the first time that traditional easel painting has been replaced by photography (that’s why the bank decided to enlist Leibovitz for the job). And the result is Queen Letizia looking like a million bucks.
Go see it!
La Tiranía de Cronos. Sala de Exposiciones del Banco de España, Alcalá 48, Madrid. Through March 29. Check website for opening hours. Free admission (but book ahead).
2.🎨 Another Exhibit: Max Ernst: Surrealism, Art and Cinema
(Lol, this one is even closer to the Puerta del Sol. Sowwy!)
If the monarchy is not your thing, then fear not, we have an alternative: Max Ernst, a legendary German surrealist who was not only a painter but also a sculptor, a poet and a graphic artist.
The exhibit takes a journey through the artist’s life and career, showcasing over 300 works, including paintings, sculptures, collages, frottages (?!), illustrated books, and photographs, all selected for their connection to the world of cinema. Highlights include The Temptations of Saint Anthony (Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg), The Daughters of Lot (Pietzsch Collection, Berlin), and sculptures like Homme (Max Ernst Museum, Brühl).
It touches on themes such as exile, transculturalism, and environmental issues, reflecting the artist’s progressive vision.
Ernst has been an inspiration to surrealist cinema, while also contributing to the medium as an actor, film jury member, and award designer. If you’re looking to be mesmerized, this is your thing this weekend.
Max Ernst: Surrealismo, Arte y Cine. Circulo de Bellas Artes, Calle de Alcalá 42, Madrid. Through May 4. Check website for opening hours. Tickets: €12.
3.🎭 All birds, a play by Wajdi Mouawad
If you’re a fan of theatre, then do not miss All Birds, a play directed by prestigious playwright Mario Gas that is a profound exploration of the Israel-Palestine conflict through “a love story with classical tragedy overtones”.
The play is written by Wajdi Mouawad, a Canadian of Lebanese origin known for works such as A Bomb in the Heart, Incendies, and Mother (Mère).
The story focuses on Israeli-Palestinian couples who, despite their love, are forced to make extreme decisions due to the impossibility of building a future together in a society marked by violence and hatred. Through its characters, Mouawad delves into universal themes such as identity, belonging, and the pursuit of happiness in a divided world.
It features a cast led by veteran actress Vicky Peña, alongside Manuel de Blas, Pere Ponce, Candela Serrat, Aleix Peña, Pietro Olivera, Lucía Barrado, Nuria García, Juan Calot, and Anabel Moreno.
Warning: it’s intense. And the goal is to offer a powerful reflection on the consequences of war and the necessity of dialogue and understanding. We highly recommend it.
All Birds. Teatros del Canal. Calle de Cea Bermúdez 1, Madrid. Through Dec. 29. Check website for schedule. Tickets start at €9.
4.👹 Another Play: A Monster Calls
Have you seen A Monster Calls? The 2016 movie by J. A. Bayona is based on a novel by American writer Patrick Ness. And now the LaJoven theater company is turning it into a play, in collaboration with the Spanish Association Against Cancer.
The play tackles profound themes such as grief, loss, fear, and acceptance “through a dark and poignant fable”. It centers on 13-year-old Conor O’Malley, who is grappling with his mother’s terminal illness. Conor is having recurring nightmares and a heavy emotional burden, not only because he is facing the loss of his mom but also loneliness, bullying in school, and a distant father.
Then, a monster in the form of a giant tree appears at his window and tells him it will visit him three times to share three stories, after which Conor must share his own truth—a truth he has been hiding. Through the stories, Conor begins to confront his fears and repressed emotions.
Please bring tissues. We mean it.
A Monster Calls. Teatros del Canal. Calle de Cea Bermúdez 1, Madrid. Dec. 6-15. Check website for schedule. Tickets start at €9.
5.🦩 Naturaleza Encendida: LIFE
Because nothing says “Christmas spirit” like a giant whale made of lights!
This immersive experience “celebrates the richness of the natural world with a journey through three major natural realms—aquatic, terrestrial, and aerial—” accompanied by millions of lights illuminating the gardens of the Enrique Tierno Galván park.
Following last year’s overwhelming success (over 300,000 visitors) Naturaleza Encendida is back for a sixth edition, this year with a tribute to the natural world, and the importance of preserving the biosphere.
The event is designed as a journey divided into three natural realms: aquatic, terrestrial, and aerial. You’ll run into giant whales (told you), octopuses, jellyfish, wild animals and exotic insects.
Naturaleza Encendida has become one of the most anticipated winter events in Madrid, attracting over 1 million visitors. If you want to see lights but want to avoid the horrendous downtown experience, then this is a good alternative. Have fun!
Naturaleza Encendida: LIFE. Parque Enrique Tierno Galván, Calle Meneses 4, Madrid. Through Jan. 6. Check website for schedule. Tickets: €15.
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Located on Calle de Moratín 7 — a few blocks away from the Prado Museum — and with over 20,000 new and used books, Secret Kingdoms has something for everyone.
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