| Spain , with its myriad of influences and | | | | also created some works specifically for the |
| epic history, is a country with a diverse | | | | museum itself - the "Mae West Room", the |
| gamut of sights and sounds to offer its 45 | | | | "Wind Palace Room" and the "Monument to |
| million tourists who visit every year. An | | | | Francesc Pujols and the Rainy Cadillac" are |
| area where this can be seen in particular is | | | | larger than life and superb examples of |
| in its museums and galleries, a rich history | | | | Dali's fertile imagination. |
| of art and culture has left Spain a huge | | | | |
| legacy in this department with names such as | | | | Reina Sofia , Madrid |
| Dali, Picasso and Miro leading the list: | | | | |
| | | | One of Madrid's most celebrated museums, the |
| Guggenheim, Bilbao: | | | | Reina Sofia houses a huge collection of |
| | | | contemporary art. Once the city's San Carlos |
| Now one of the most easily recognised | | | | hospital, the museum was originally founded |
| buildings in Europe, the Guggenheim in Bilbao | | | | in 1986 but underwent a serious revamp in |
| is a work of art itself. Opened in 1997 and | | | | 1990 at the hands of British architect, Ian |
| designed by American architect Frank O. | | | | Ritchie. They envisioned creating something |
| Gehry, the museum has been a lynchpin for the | | | | to rival the Tate in London and the Pompidou |
| city's redevelopment programme and in many | | | | centre in Paris, and, with 36,000 sqm of |
| ways the museum symbolises the new, modern | | | | exhibition space, it's one of the world's |
| Bilbao. | | | | largest museums and an extremely impressive |
| | | | place. The most famous painting housed there |
| Standing right in the city centre alongside | | | | is undoubtedly Picasso's Guernica, an immense |
| the river the museum offers 11,000 sqm of | | | | cubist work and war protest and probably the |
| exhibition space over three galleries. The | | | | great painter's most famous work. Visitors |
| museum has a body of permanent work always on | | | | can also see the many preliminary sketches |
| display as well as large exhibitions which | | | | that he made for the work. Other great |
| run for months at a time. Currently on View | | | | Spanish artists on display are Dali, Miro and |
| is the "Aztec Empire" comprising of a huge | | | | Orteiz to name but a few as well as Spain's |
| body of work from the pre-columbian | | | | most important artists of the last 20 years. |
| civilization. Previous exhibitions have | | | | |
| encompassed an eclectic blend of art with | | | | Fundacio Joan Miro, Barcelona |
| work from the likes of Matisse, Michelangelo, | | | | |
| Reubens and Warhol having graced its | | | | One of Spain's most important artists and |
| corridors. | | | | often overlooked due to the lure of Picasso |
| | | | and Dali, the Fundacio Joan Miro in the |
| Dali Theatre-Museum, Figueres | | | | Montjuic area of Barcelona is well worth a |
| | | | visit. Spacious and set in its own grounds, |
| Located in Figueres, the Dali Theatre-Museum | | | | the museum is a step away from the regular |
| is the broadest collection of his work in the | | | | metropolitan museums and galleries - the |
| world tracing his first artistic forays, the | | | | white building built around an internal |
| surrealist period and even including some of | | | | courtyard is typically Mediterranean. Huge |
| the last works painted before his death. | | | | amounts of natural light help to bring Miro's |
| Figueres also happens to be Dali's hometown | | | | surrealist works to life and the museum also |
| and the decision to build the museum from the | | | | houses some of his sculptures and ceramic |
| ruins of the town's Spanish civil war-damaged | | | | works as well as the paintings he's more |
| theatre, didn't seem like a difficult one. | | | | famous for. The museum also has a permanent |
| Indeed, it was here as a boy where Dali first | | | | exhibition space in which the foundation |
| had the chance to display his work so is a | | | | gives special attention to Spain's more |
| fitting place to exhibit the cream of his | | | | experimental artists - not everyone's cup of |
| life's work. Dali himself supervised the | | | | tea, granted, but worth a look if you're |
| building and creation of the museum turning | | | | visiting the museum. |
| it into a huge surrealist playground. Dali | | | | |