Live the art from the inside
The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía is a peculiar museum. It is one of the great international Contemporary Art museums but it has two basic slogans: quality in the choice of the exhibited works and being a communication motor between the artist and the viewer.
To get there I prefer the subway (line 1) even though there are a few parking lots nearby and you can use any of the many bus lines stopping in front of it. It is located in a privileged place, near other great museums like the Thyssen or the Prado.
It was officially inaugurated in 1990 even though the collection was begun by the Bourbon Kings. A museum with such characteristics runs the risk of becoming a warehouse of absurd works. The "breakdown" of art started at the end of the 19th century. With the loss of its colonial power, pessimism started invading Europe and the artists called everything into question. Destroy the ways that had led to chaos was necessary, in the way of essence rediscovery. This is how the Impressionist movement and then Surrealism were born.
Many artists currently keep with this line, believing that the visual impact and surprise is the key to success. The museum avoided this temptation and only exhibits quality works, in which the artists make futurist offers.
But what I like the most in the Reina Sofía is that it is to live an experience: you can attend some of the various activities to learn and understand art from the inside. This is why when I spend some days in Madrid I look up the program and I sign up for one of the workshops. It is not a museum to admire contemporary works but to learn how to live art.
It opens every day, except Tuesday, between 10 am and 9 pm. On Sunday it closes in the afternoon. Even though you do not go to the museum, anyone can go in the cafeteria, library, terrace, gardens, etc.