MUSAC, a testimony to the 21st century

Take part in contemporary artistic creation. Visit the Contemporary Art Museum of Castile-León (MUSAC), a unique and amazing place. The city of León in northern Spain, is now known for something other than its wealth of Romanesque art and architecture. Since 2005, it also the standard-bearer of modernity.

We invite you to experience this museum and its commitment to contemporary aesthetic values first-hand. At the MUSAC Contemporary Art Centre, you can do so in a unique way, because it is first and foremost a living space that invites your participation, above and beyond passively viewing the works of art.

Your first surprise will be when you arrive here: a concave plaza acts as an anteroom for a structure made up of squares and rhombuses. The façade is made up of over 3,300 pieces of glass in 37 colours. This mosaic was obtained by digitising an image from a stained-glass window in the Cathedral of Leónknown as the Falconer.

Did you know that the place you are looking at is among the top ten European buildings of the last 20 years? This is endorsed by the Mies van der Rohe Award for contemporary architecture that it received in 2007.

However, your visit has only just begun: inside you'll find a predominance of white concrete, with 21,000 square metres of high ceilings, exposed girders and inner courtyards. With no corridors or indicators to mark the way, you can create your own route through the five exhibit rooms, the function room, educational workshop and, since 2006, a library specialising in contemporary art. Over 800 works by Spanish and international artists such as Anri Sala, Martín Sastre and Pilar Albarracín, to name a few, await you.

A common thread runs through the entire collection, which is governed by the principle of the 'here and now', the memory of recent events and the search for new forms of expression.

Interactivity is one of the key features of the MUSAC. This is why it has an extensive programme of talks, meetings with artists and interactive guides. There is also room for such activities as film series and concerts.

Be a witness to the art of your own time, To the expression of the creation of the 21st century. Do so in this unique environment. This is a visit that no one should miss.