Madrid's Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza to get new home for contemporary art

The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid will soon host a new facility dedicated to contemporary art. The philanthropist Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza and her heirs will donate over 180 works worth an estimated €16m to the museum, which will be acquired by the public. This collection, the TBA21 Collection, originates from the charity Francesca established in 2002.

Additionally, around 180 works, valued at approximately €10m, will be loaned long-term by the collection's creators, including artists such as Ai Weiwei, Marina Abramović, John Akomfrah, Monica Bonvicini, and Candice Breitz. The new venue, situated in the Palacio del Hielo y del Automóvil on Calle Duque de Medinaceli, will undergo refurbishment by the Spanish government, which will also cover operational expenses.

An international architectural competition will commence next year, with completion expected around 2031. The Palacio del Hielo y del Automóvil, a former site for scientific research, will undergo a transformation to fulfill its new purpose. Plans for a contemporary art exhibition space at the museum were initially abandoned in 2008 but were revived in 2019 following a successful exhibition by John Akomfrah.

TBA21 and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum have since collaborated on multiple exhibitions and commissions. Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza expressed her desire to avoid a museum named after herself, emphasizing that copying existing national museum structures is a significant error. The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, located near the Prado, displays her father's collection of European paintings from the 15th to 19th centuries, acquired by the Spanish government in 1993 for around $350m.

The museum also houses works from Hans Heinrich's widow, Carmen Cervera, on long-term loan since 2021.