Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid, (Spain)

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía opened in 1990, with an important collection of Spanish and international art, covering the period from the late nineteenth century to the present. Two years later, Pablo Picasso's Guernica, a seminal work that influences the speech and activities of the Museum was incorporated.

Located in a former hospital building from the late eighteenth century by the architect Francesco Sabatini, the growth of its collection necessitated its expansion, and in 2005 the new building designed by Jean Nouvel opened.

From the 18,000 pieces that make up the collection of the Museum, in recent years the collection has been rearranged, creating a journey that delves into the distinctive features of the museum, such as Surrealism, the Pavilion of the Republic of 1937 or Informalismo Spanish 50s in the international context. Currently, it is organized around three main sections: "1900-1945: The advent of the twentieth century utopias and conflicts", "1945-1968: The war is over Art for a divided world?" And "1962-1982: the revolt to postmodernism. "

Chronologically, the collection is an extension of the Museo del Prado, to cover the period from the late nineteenth century to the present. Royal Decree 410/1995, of 17 March, restated state collections, marking the year of birth of Picasso (1881) as the dividing line between the Prado and Reina Sofia, an approach that has been questioned as too rigid and will It is diluted by the latest initiatives of this museum, such as the incorporation of examples of Goya and Sorolla.12

The trajectory of contemporary art in Spain, for decades ignored by the private collectors and public institutions, explains that there are many gaps in the international repertoire of the museum, although it has some relevant examples of multiple artists. The collection takes as its core the contemporary Spanish art and contextualized in international flows of foreign authors with examples from Pierre Bonnard to Louise Bourgeois, emphasizing those related to Spain, including Robert and Sonia Delaunay, André Masson, Francis Picabia, Alexander Calder, Torres García and Rafael Barradas.

The inventory of artistic goods comprised, as of September 2014, 18,145 works, including 3408 paintings, 1654 sculptures and installations, 3148 drawings, 5502 prints, 3630 photos, 346 pieces of video, film and audiovisual arts included 354 performative and intermediate and 98 architecture, design and decorative arts. Many are set 1100, 6% .13 Moreover, some donated pieces are also exhibited in trust by third parties in order to complete the own funds of the museum.