CAPTIVATING - SPAIN- CAPSTONES : TOURISM 2023 {20}

 

Madrid : Kicking off a worldwide tribute to Picasso in a place that's a masterpiece unto itself.

If art is a universal language, as travel often reveals, Pablo Picaaso's antiwar ''Guernica'' may be one of its most potent symbols. 

The Spanish and French governments recently announced the Picasso celebration 1973-2023 in front of the famous painting at the Reina Sofia museum, kicking off a transnational commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the artist's death.

The worldwide tributes, encompassing Madrid, Paris and New York City, includes some 50 exhibitions, many of which explore the artist through the lens of the present.

Madrid, leads the way, with tributes throughout the year, including ''Picasso. The Sacred and the Profane'' at the Thyssen-Bornemisza; '' Picasso 1906. The Turning Point '' at the Reina Sofia; and an exhibition exploring Picasso and EI Greco at the Prada.

During Picasso's anniversary year, it's worth noting that the city's artistry isn't just within its museums, but outside as well :

Madrid's cultural core is an urban masterpiece of art, nature and light, and in 2021, the entire area of the Pasco del Prado and verdant Parque del Buen Retiro, called '' Landscape of Light, '' was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.  [Annelise Sorensen].