With the beauty of the Palacio de Cristal in the Parque del Retiro as backdrop, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster (Strasbourg, Francia, 1965) is giving us a trip back in time. With the year 1887 (when the Palacio de Cristal was built) as a reference point, she re-creates the conditions of the period, evoking a hotel at the end of the 19th century, around which she intertwines references to literature, musicals, science and abstracts. Staging is Gonzalez-Foerster's medium of expression, although on this occasion, she sets monumentalism to find a more intimate focus that brings her work closer to the public.
This is how the Palacio de Cristal turns into the 'Splendide Hotel', as a big neon sign at the entrance announces to visitors. What makes this special is that it consists of one room, whose floor is covered by a large rug holding objects from the era. The exhibition invites you to take it all in at a leisurely pace, and even sit in one of the 30 rocking chairs while you contemplate the beauty of the Retiro through the windows of this wonderful building.