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Madrid prepares an open-air museum with new Meninas
From 15 November to 15 December, Meninas Madrid Gallery will bring new versions of Velázquez's figures to different neighbourhoods. This edition will include charitable tributes and designs created by schoolchildren.
The international design competition brought together more than 150,000 drawings from over 1,000 schools. Three educational centres will take part with selected proposals: one from Madrid, another from Huesca, and a third from Argentina. There will also be a collective menina made with drawings by children connected to Fundación Pequeño Deseo.
The ninth edition of Meninas Madrid Gallery will take place in the capital from 15 November to 15 December. The sculptures, inspired by the figures in the painting by Diego Velázquez, will be displayed at various locations around the city and will feature QR codes to access the story and message of each piece, as well as a virtual representation.
This year’s theme is “Madrid, the city where dreams take shape.” The pieces will address current issues and focus on creativity, education, inclusion, and social commitment. Among them will be tributes to the victims of the Urda train accident and the Venezuela earthquake.
The exhibition will also include a figure in support of the city of Ceuta and another dedicated to the Spanish football team to celebrate their second Copa del Mundo. The municipal seal “Hecho en Madrid” will have its own sculpture, highlighting the quality and creativity of professionals from Madrid.
This edition features actor Edgar Ramírez and the band Rawayana. There will also be contributions from designer Pablo Erroz and Victoria Federica de Marichalar y Borbón. The presentation was attended by the deputy mayor of Madrid, Inma Sanz, and the delegate for Economy, Innovación y Hacienda, Engracia Hidalgo, along with other representatives of the municipal government.
The distribution across neighbourhoods will allow visitors to explore the works outdoors and visit shops and hospitality venues. In November, this activity in the streets coincides with the appearance of the first Christmas lights in the centro de Madrid.
Meninas Madrid Gallery has raised more than one million euros for charitable causes since its first edition. At the end of the exhibition, the donated sculptures may be auctioned. 80% of the proceeds will go to foundations and charitable associations, and the remaining 20% will help ensure the continuity of the project.