QUÉ PASA MADRID

Hola, well I never expected to be here in Spain.

Madrid is a heat and culture shock. Where do I start?! The answer is Museo Del Prado. I head down Gran Via and are overwhelmed by the grandeur of the Cibeles Plaza. I have a tear in my eye; the architecture is that moving. I continue en route down Paseo de Prado under the trees and past the exquisite fountain. Art , in some capacity, is everywhere you look.

No one is allowed to take photographs inside this magnificent building. I have spent four hours perusing and also getting lost. Hieronymus Bosch's painting 'The Garden of Earthly Delights' has people crowding around and as soon as I see the triptych up close it becomes clear why. This artwork gives me the feeling that it could have been painted yesterday. It is timeless and still as relevant as ever, I love it!

Anna Borrie, a friend and fellow artist, tells me that the three must-sees are Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen which I promptly devour.

Guernica by Pablo Picasso

Anna is so switched on in regards to knowing what's on and where to go. My navigation anxiety immediately dissolves as we whiz about the city, jumping on and off the metro and buses; she is a wizard who can also speak fluent Spanish!

Anna at Duane Michals exhibition

We visit various museums and galleries, including some photography expos during photoESPAÑA. I am introduced to a retrospective of Duane Michals which is absolutely fantastic.

'Hermes' by Rafael Canogar

To top off this private contemporary art tour experience I get to tick off a goal I have had in the pipeline for at least ten years; viewing a large-scale mural of both VHILS and Bordalo II; I am a very happy kiwi!

Hasta mañana

Bordalo II part of ¨Chimpance¨mural

Mural ¨Jose Saramango¨by VHILS