Espacio Fundación Telefónica : History
of Telecommunications Museum
06/05/12 - Fuencarral 3
06/05/12 - Fuencarral 3
Fan with case, from Salvador Bachiller, 9 euros |
I love the way Spanish
ladies still use fans to whip up a breeze.
A few weeks ago, my seventh-grader performed in his school play to an
audience packed with parents. As he
looked out at the crowd, he noticed that every mother in the room was using a
fan, and all the fans waved in unison. (The
play was ambitious for a public school whose only outside activities are chess
and boys’ basketball: an adaptation of a novel by Torcuato Luca de Tena, set in
a mental institution. Think King of Hearts meets Nancy Drew, with mod
lighting and video clips. My son, the only foreigner, was given a walk-on role
as one of the inmates). I've started to carry a fan wherever I go.
In fact, I’m using one now to deflect the heat rising from my
laptop. Cute and utilitarian—it is the
perfect souvenir.
Telefonica Building |
Trendy stores
with names like Skunkfunk and Desigual attract all sorts to the
shopping street of Fuencarral. I’ve
seen the gamut: pierced, tottering, and cutting-edge; school groups in matching
t-shirts; transvestites; a ballerina in street-clothes; and yesterday, a French
bulldog in a ruffled skirt. After a spell of window- and people-gazing, you might
dash into the stunning new cultural space that opened this year in the building
that calls itself “Europe’s First Skyscraper.”
When it was
finished in 1929, the American-inspired art deco Telefónica Building was the
tallest in Madrid. It recently added three new (free) exhibit spaces and a gift store, with an entrance
on Fuencarral Street number 3. A sculptural
staircase and a glass elevator set the tone for the renovation.
Lobby and staircase, Fuencarral entrance |
On one of the
levels, you’ll find a museum of sorts: an exhibit called The History of
Telecommunications. It traces the
evolution of remote communication since the nineteenth century.
1920s linesman bicycle |
1925 telephone used by King Alfonso XIII to inaugurate new service in Madrid (1926) and to place the first transatlantic call (1928) |
For art lovers, the
top level displays the Telefónica Cubist Collection, which revolves around the
work of Madrid-born painter Juan Gris (1887-1927). I couldn’t help peering at the rooftop patio
next door. The views of Gran Via are
pretty good as well.
Terraza envy |
Gran Via, viewed from fourth level of Telefonica |
The middle level
currently houses a most intriguing exhibit called “Art and Artificial Life
1999-2012.”
Philip Beesley, Rob Gorbet (2007, Canada). These "plants" have sensors to detect your presence and move their tendrils. |
Robotic blob by Paula Gaetano Adi (2006, Argentina). It sweats when you touch it. |
"Head." Ken Feingold (1999, USA) |
I found myself all
alone in the dark with this lifelike “Head” by American artist Ken
Feingold, when it started to talk. Its
eyes blinked and its mouth moved, and it spoke to me in English. “When did you
get here?” the Head asked. I muttered
something in response.
Head
continued. “I don’t care about you in the least. Ask me a question.”
I asked about the
Wisconsin Governor recall election taking place in my home state today.
“Sorry,” Head
said. “I only understand when I am in
another mood.” Silence. Head abhorred a vacuum. He added, “I never forget a face, but in your
case I’ll make an exception.”
The notes said this
art work will raise doubts about the coherence of our dialogue with others. And
it does.
Hours: Tues - Sun 10:00 - 20:00 (closed M)
Hours: Tues - Sun 10:00 - 20:00 (closed M)
Super entry!!! Loved the fan comments...I will look forward to you fluttering around Madison, WI..in the summer, of course. The Telefonica is worth a trip. I haven't been there in years. Now I know it's worth a trip. Loved the Head comments. You've missed heart-breaking moments in WI, but you've certainly witnessed a few in Madrid.
ReplyDeleteKay, in particular, a fan will be useful during middle school concerts in the gym--no air-conditioning, all those wilting parents!
ReplyDelete