Thyssen museum to open second Madrid home for 360 contemporary works
Madrid is set for a second Thyssen museum devoted to contemporary art.
The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid plans to open a new venue housing more than 360 works from the TBA21 Collection, through a mix of donation and long-term loan, according to The Art Newspaper.
The numbers break down into two halves. Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza and her heirs will give more than 180 works, valued at an estimated €16m, free of charge. Those works will pass into public ownership, meaning they will belong to the state and be held for the public.
A further group of around 180 works, valued at around €10m by Phillips, the auction house, will join them as a long-term loan. A long-term loan is an extended agreement to display work owned by someone else. Together the two groups form the core of the expansion.
The collection comes from TBA21–Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, the Madrid-based foundation set up by Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza in 2002. She is the daughter of Hans Heinrich von Thyssen-Bornemisza, whose historic collection gives the Madrid museum its name. The Spanish state bought that collection for around $350m in 1993.
The names on the contemporary list will be familiar to gallery-goers. They include Ai Weiwei, Marina Abramović, John Akomfrah, Monica Bonvicini and Candice Breitz. The foundation says its collecting over two decades has focused on ecology and social justice.
The new home will be the Palacio del Hielo y del Automóvil on Calle Duque de Medinaceli in Madrid. The Spanish government will refurbish the building after two decades of disuse and will meet its running costs. An international architectural competition will be launched early next year, with construction scheduled for completion around 2031.
The plan was announced by the Spanish Ministry of Culture, which describes TBA21 as having brought together one of the world's most influential private contemporary art collections. TBA21 previously signed a four-year agreement with the museum to present exhibitions drawn from its holdings.
For visitors, this means more Thyssen to explore. The original museum is known for old masters and modern art. The second site adds a large contemporary wing, a short walk away in the same district.
