The Helga de Alvear museum, one of the most important and fascinanting museums in the world, is a few metres away from ART & SUITE APARTMENT CÁCERES, on the same street. It is the best compendium of contemporary art from the 80s to the present day, which will open to the public in December 2020, if the evolution of the pandemic allows it.
Luis Mansilla, who passed away in 2012, and Emilio Tuñón formed the architectural tandem behind this project.
Together they started their dream of Cáceres in 2008, which involved a 20,000 square metre plot, which gradually shrunk to about half of that, with 5,000 metres for the Casa Grande, 3,000 for the Visual Arts Centre’s new building and another 1,500 for an annexed facility which has not yet been built, which will be an archive. “This will complement the Helga de Alvear Campus,” claims Tuñón, who confidently says “it is a luxury for Cáceres that Helga has been generous enough to grant its collection to Cáceres.” The gallerist quickly corrected him: “But it is a vice, not an act of generosity. I could not possibly take it with me, so it found a place here.”
The architect explains that it is the most important contemporary art collection in Spain, “and also one of the most important in the world.” Proof there of is the fact that one of the most well-known critics in the world has just claimed that “it goes beyond the standard.” In fact, when the facilities are in full swing, they will house around 20% of the collection. There will be temporary exhibits in Casa Grande (about 10%) and the rest, about 70%, will be guarded in the archive, so it will not be a stagnant museum, but a living one. Also, the pieces will remain in circulation throughout the world in various exhibition rooms, giving it some elasticity.
When Helga de Alvear bought her first work of art in 1967, she could not fath on the importance of this act in the future, starting an activity that is still on going to this day, with growing passion, professionalism and tenacity. Three qualities that have allowed her to build the most important private international contemporary art collection in Spain.
Helga de Alvear’s collection is one of the world’s most prestigious when it comes to contemporary art, made up of 2,500 paintings.
New Helga de Alvear museum in Cáceres, one of the most important in the world
Sculptures, photographs, installations and videos, with an estimated value of 140 million euros.
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