The Jozami Collection at the Lazaro Galdiano Museum

http://www.flg.es/your-visit-to-the-museo-lazaro-galdiano


Exhibition: BETWEEN TIMES...

PRESENCES OF THE JOZAMI COLLECTION AT THE LAZARO GALDIANO MUSEUM

Curator: Diana B. Wechsler

OPENING: February 13, 2014

Venue: Lazaro Galdiano Museum
Serrano 122 Madrid

February 13 through May 12, 2014

The Lazaro Galdiano museum on Serrano is one of Madrid´s best kept secrets.

Once the private home of José Lázaro Galdiano (1862-1947) Spanish financier, journalist, publisher and art collector, who at the time of his death owned one of the largest and most significant art collections in Spain. Described in 1940 as "one of the greatest patrons of culture in nineteenth century Spain".

The building itself or palace is one of the few left in the Barrio Salamanca in Madrid, many of which have been torn down to make way for high rises. The corner of Serrano and Maria de Molina is where you can still find these original "palace homes". The Lazaro Galiano museum maintains its structure both inside and out. Across the street, the IE Business school, have kept most of the outside structure, but the insides have been butchered.



BETWEEN TIMES... PRESENCES OF THE JOZAMI COLLECTION AT THE LAZARO GALDIANO MUSEUM

The Jozami Collection consists in a vast selection of works of modern and contemporary art by artists from Argentina, other Latin American countries, and other places around the world. Initiated more than 35 years ago by Aníbal Yazbeck Jozami, it has grown in recent years with additional contributions by his wife Marlise Ilhesca. It is a collection that has taken shape through desire and passion and it is consolidated with every new acquisition as a markedly international aggregate of global aspirations coexisting with local tensions. Centering on diversity, it represents the perspectives of a contemporary humanism.

Between Times... is an exhibition produced of a selection of works of the Jozami Collection that comprises two main sections: Presences of the Jozami Collection at the MLG and Figuration and its Limits.

In Presences... each piece correlates-by adhesion or dissent-to the conditions of production and interpretation of its time. However, it is also interpreted from the present and with the interpretive conditions that this entails. With these considerations in mind, the pieces of the Jozami Collection, chosen for their pertinence to each one of the narrative themes in the halls of the Lazaro Galdiano Collection, are presented with an aim to activate the senses and convert the show into a thought-provoking space.

Intervention, convergence, analogy, quotation and parody are among the situations sought/provoked/evoked from this international contemporary art show featuring the Jozami Collection. It is an invitation to revisit the Lazaro Galdiano Museum with attention to the signals, interferences, and dialogues...in short, the presence of the pieces of the collection of this South American couple within the historical-artistic narrative of the showrooms in this Spanish museum.

Figuration and its Limits, the other section of Between Times... arises from the assumption that the arts offer other means of accessing the real and that we can progress with regard to some of the forms that these realities take on. This selection of works of the Jozami Collection offers an overview of the modern and contemporary figurations in the works from a series of artists from the Southern Cone, brought together through different micro-stories: that of the critical figurations (Lacámera, Vigo, Berni, Muniz, Schvarz, Espina, Sacco) and their metaphysical and surreal drifts (Batlle Planas, Forner, Xul Solar, Ducmelic, Aizenberg), that of the representations of space and landscape as marks of belonging (Sívori, Malharro, Figari, Quinquela Martín, Noé, Kuitca, Liliana Porter) and that of modern-style figurations on the frontiers of abstraction (Torres García, Gurvich, Pailós, Seoane, Hlito).

In Spanish, but will help you see the exhibition

Madrid Jazz Festival

Once again jazz musicians from across the globe will be in the city for another edition of Madrid Jazz Festival (2nd November- 4th December). Now in its 28th year, it is considered one of the world's best known festivals of its kind and this year's promises to be another great edition with 27 performances during the month long festival period. With performers coming from a wide range of countries including Cuba, Senegal, Mexico and Poland, there will a diverse mixture of jazz styles on offer which won't disappoint the most avid of fans. The concerts will be held at various locations in the city. You can see the full programme here as well as where to get tickets, however info only in Spanish (even though it describes itself as an "international" festival).

Madrid in Danza

It's almost time for Madrid to welcome another edition of Madrid en Danza, its annual international dance festival, which is now in its 26th year. This year's edition will feature 25 productions from ten countries, including Japan, Mexico and the UK, as well as performances by Spanish dancers. Some of the highlights of this year's programme include the curious Paradise in a Jar Odyssey 2001, a take on Stanley Kubrick's Space Odessey and The Odyssey by Homer set to traditional butoh dance; and more traditional performances such as Poppea/Poppea and New Work, which are based on classical operas and dances.

The festival runs between 7th and 27th November at various locations in Madrid. For full programme and where to buy tickets see here.

The Teatros del Canal start a new season with two exciting productions

One of Madrid's best loved theatres, the Teatros del Canal will start the new season with two exciting productions; Cayetana su pasión and El Pisito.
Cayetana, su pasión is piece of flamenco-ballet which pays hommage to the very colourful Spanish aristocrat the Duchess of Alba, and features costumes designed by Victorio & Lucchino. The duchess herself is a big fan of flamenco ballet and a lover of all things typcially Spanish. The show runs from 31st August until 18th Setember in the Sala Rojo and tickets start from 14,50€.

If you have a decent level of Spanish, El Pisito is the story of a hard-up couple from the 1950's who due to their lack of money want to get married and have their own apartment, however they are offered one under some very strange circumstances. Although the story takes place in the past, it still has a lot of relevance today for young people struggling to buy a place to live due to the economic times. The show runs from 1st-18th September in the Sala Verde and tickets start from 12€.

Veranos de la Villa- summer concerts

Every summer the city hall puts on a series on concerts known as the Veranos de la Villa, which takes places across different spaces across the city and attracts artists from different styles of music and dance from all corners of the globe. There will be many events taking place- far too many to list here, but here are a few picks:

29/6- 10/7 Swan Lake on ice (El lago de los cisnes) at the Sabatini Gardens. It may be scorching hot, but this performance on ice looks great for the family. It's performed by the Imperial Ice Stars, a famous ice skating performance company, who have toured the world with this production. In case you're wondering whether the ice will melt, the performance takes place in a specially constructed theatre.

6/7 Lila Downs in concert at the Escenario de Puerta del Ángel. Lila Downs is an internationlly acclaimed Mexican folk singer, who rose to fame after the release of the film Frida, which featured her music. Well worth going to see as she has an incredibly powerful voice.

7/7 Miguel Poveda in concert at the Escenario de Puerta del Ángel. One of Spain's best loved contemporary flamenco stars, yet still performs in a very traditional way. Don't miss it if you want to see some real flamenco!

13/7 Camilo & Tomatito in concert at the Escenario de Puerta del Ángel. Camilo is a jazz musican from the Domincan Republic and Tomatito is one of Spain's best flamenco performers. Here they come together to perform an interesting concert of flamenco-jazz with a touch of latino.

13/7- 24/7 Agua, Azucarcillos y Aguadiente- La Verbena de la Paloma at the Sabatini Gardens. The Sabatini Gardens, next to the Royal Palace are the perfect place to catch a traditional zarzuela on a balmy summer night.

28/7 Afrocubism in concert at the Escenario de Puerta del Ángel. Afrocubism is a project between the Cuban legends the Buena Vista Social Club and a group of musicans from Mali, mixing latino and African styles. It certainly looks an interesting mix!

18/8- 28/8 The Barber of Sevilla at the Sabatini Gardens. Enjoy one of the world's best loved operas in the magical setting of the Royal Palace. It should be unforgettable.

There are many more events including flamenco, world music, opera and dance performances and to see the full programme to buy tickets, visit the Veranos de la Villa website (unfortunately all in Spanish).

A Taste of Portugal in Madrid

The first ever International Festival of Fado Music, traditional music from Portugal will be happening in Madrid this weekend, and there will be a number of events relating to Portuguese culture and gastronomy running in parallel to the festival. The 17, 18 and 19th June there will be concerts given by Carmo Carminho Rebelo de Andrade, Cuca Roseta and Carlos do Carmo, some of the greatest names in contemporary fado music at the Teatros del Canal. Attendees will have the chance to sample some typical Portuguese delicacies. We went along to the presentation of the festival and heard some of the songs which will be performed, and we can say that it is a very powerful and moving genre of music, which is performed from the soul. If you want to find out more, here's an article from Wikipedia. It is in someways similar to flamenco, yet contains elements of tango. Additional events taking place include a special Portuguese menu at the restaurante of the Teatros del Canal and the projection of four films relating to the fado culture (free entry). For more details about the events taking place and where to buy concert tickets, visit the Festival Fado Madrid blog.


Here's a taster:

Suma Flamenca Festival 2011

Estrella Morente, daughter of flamenco legend Enrique Morente who passed away at the end of last year, will on Thursday 9th inaugurate this year's annual Suma Flamenca festival which is organised by the city hall of Madrid. Lasting nearly one month, this is one of the biggest flamenco festivals of its kind in Spain, and the flamenco performed here is a lot more authentic than many of the overpriced shows aimed at tourists. This year's lineup includes greats such as Rocío Molina, Niño Josele and El Cigala. The flamenco shows will take place across a number of venues in Madrid and ticket prices vary. To get more information about the shows and for tickets, see the Suma Flamenca website (in English). The festival ends on 2nd July.

Festival de Otoño en Primavera

The Otoño en Primavera (Autumn in Spring) Festival is an annual season of cultural events which takes place in the spring. Organised by the city hall of Madrid, there are 34 performances happening; ranging from theatre and dance performances, circus acts and concerts. The performers come from a number of different countries, as well as locally and nationally. One highlight promises to be the talk and demonstration by Laurie Anderson one of the most revered contemporary audiovisual artists. She will be at the Matadero on 31st May. Additionally there will a series of workshops and courses in the performing arts for both adults and young people (around 25€-50€ and you need to sign up in advance).

Tickets prices vary depending on the event and there will be a number of free ones. If you buy your tickets in advance before 11th May, you can receive up to 50% off the ticket price.

You can get more details and the full programme here. It's in English too!

Cultural activities for Semana Santa

The Madrid region has an great programme of cultural events taking place over Easter week. Here are a few picks:

The Centro de Exposiciones Arte Canal (Paseo de la Castellana, 214), has an exposion dedicated to the period of Alexander the Great with over 330 artefacts from 40 different museums across Europe on display. Visitors can also enjoy a 3D video projection.  Runs until 3rd May. Metro Plaza de Castilla (L1, L9, L10). Free admission.

The Comunidad de Madrid gallery at Calle Alcalá 31, is showing works by the British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare; his first exhbition in Spain. The collection includes 22 of his works in various media such as collage, sculpture and video. Runs until 24th April. Metro Sevilla (L2) or Sol (L1, L2, L3). Free admission.

It's normally closed, but the Lope de Vega birthhouse (la Casa Museo Lope de Vega) at Calle Cervantes 11, will open Thursday, Saturday and Sunday or Easter week, from 10:00 until 15:00 horas (you need to reserve either by calling 91 429 92 16 or emailing casamuseolopedevega@madrid.org).

  

Winston Churchill: Walking With Destiny is a remarkable exhibition looking at the life and work of the British prime minister, and in particular his relationship and interest in Spain. It features photographs, documents and personal objects; many on show on continental Europe for the first time. Not to be missed to get an insight into perhaps the most influential figure of the 20th century, and one of the greatest shapers of history. Runs until 5th June at the Sala El Águila, Calle Ramirez de Prado 3, metro Delicias (L3).

The Young Ribera: a new exhibition at the Prado

Starts 5th April at the Prado. José de Ribera, (born 1591 in Valencia) is one of the greats of tenebrism, a movement which uses shadows and contrasts of light in paintings. He spent most of his years in Rome and Naples, where he became inspired by Caravaggio's works and studied naturalism. This exhibition features works from his early days, a period of time where his styles changed as he experimented with different methods. Although a number of his works are already on show at the Prado, the pieces on display come from a variety of art collections from around the world. You can see the exhibition until 31st July.

Admission to the exhibition costs 10€ or 5€ at reduced rate and includes entrance to all temporary exhibitions. A combined ticket for both the temporary and permanent collections costs 12€. To see more info about this exhibition, here's a link to the page on the Prado Museum website. 


We also found this article from the El País section in English about this exhibition. It's worth a read.

A season of zarzuela coming to the Teatro Madrid

 

No visit to Spain would be complete without going to see a zarzuela (typical Spanish operetta) performance. The Teatro de Madrid will be hosting a season of zarzuela performances in April performed by the Innova Lyrica company. There are three different shows and run as follows:

LA ROSA DEL AZAFRÁN (31 March-3 April)

BLACK, EL PAYASO(7-10 April) 

LOS GAVILANES(14-17 April)

Tickets cost 14- 22€ and can be bought here. The Teatro de Madrid is located on Avda de la Ilustracion, near metro Herrera Oria (L9).

Noche de los Teatros comes to the metro!

As a warm up to Saturday's Noche de los Teatros (Theatre Night), on Thursday and Friday Madrid's metro users will be able to catch series of mini-theatre pieces taking place in metro carriages and on the station platforms. Transport users themselves will be encouraged to join in with the acts and Sol station will become the 'KM Zero of Theatre'. It will certainly make the commute to work more fun! The Corte Inglés too will be getting involved with the event. They have decorated the front of their Calle Preciados store with pieces of theatre clothing created by famous Spanish designers Agatha Ruiz de la Prada and Jesús del Pozo.

To find out more about Noche de los Teatros, see our post

Noche de los Teatros (Theatre Night)

Each year the Comunidad de Madrid offers a special night of theatre, dance and music with reduced entry price of up to 50%, and this years fifth edition will be taking place on Saturday 26th March. In total there will be 170 performances at 120 venues, with something for everything including comedy, story telling and special events for kids taking place consecutively across seven hours. As there are so many events taking place, we can't list them all here, but there are up on the Noche de los Teatros website (Spanish only). 

Chardin (1699-1779) at the Prado Museum

18th century French painter Chardin is considered one of the masters of still life painting, and 57 of his best loved works will be on display at a temporary exhibition at the Prado Museum from 1st March. This is the first ever exhibition dedicated to the artist in Spain, with the pieces loaned from prestigious art collections such as the Louvre and the National Gallery London. Works on show include The Ray, The Young School Teacher, and Two Rabbits. Entrance to the exhibition costs 10€ or 5€ at reduced rate. Runs until 29th May. For the exhibition website, click here.

Madrid Festival of Sacred Arts

The Madrid Sacred Art Festival, which has been running for over twenty years brings together sacred music, theatre and dance dating from the 14th century up to the present day. During the festival 34 events will be taking place in 23 venues in the Comunidad de Madrid, ranging from theatres to ancient churches. The festival is an international event, with performers coming to Madrid from eleven countries including the USA, France, Germany, Iran and Cuba. This year's programme will include hommage to the composer Liszt and as well as offerings from Greek, Persian and Mandigan cultures. Also the performance of Mozart's Requiem by the San Jerónimo el Real Choir with the Barbieri Chamber Orchestra is tipped to be a highlight.

The festival period is from 28th February-11th April at various locations across the city and Madrid region. Click here for the programme.

Zarzuela: El Estreno de una Artista/Gloria y Peluca

The Teatro de la Zarzuela are presenting another excellent zarzuela production, this time a double programme of El Estreno de una Artista and Gloria y Peluca. If you don't know what a zarzuela is, it's a typcial Spanish operetta. You can find out more about this tradition on an article we made about zarzuela a few months ago (A Guide to Zarzuela). The first part of the performance takes place in Florence in the year 1850. Two young Spanish singers keen to be opera singers in the court of the Grand Duke, have their attempts impeded by Astucio, fearing they will be rivals to his wife Marietta. However Astucio's plan fails when both he and Marietta fall out of favour with the Grand Duke. In the second part, Gloria y Peluca, we see Astucio and Marietta (now known Marcelo and María) working as costume makers for the Grand Duke's opera company. Upon hearing the great success of the two Spanish singers after a performing a Bellini opera, Marcelo decides he wants to perform his own opera in the court, however this time María refuses to return to performing.

The performace runs until 13th March between Weds-Sun at the Teatro de la Zarzuela. (Calle Jovellanos 4, metro: Sevilla L2). Tickets can be bought at the theatre box office or from  http://www.servicaixa.com