Madrid, An Almodóvar Girl

From 11 June to 20 October, Exhibition Hall 1 at the Conde Duque Cultural Centre is hosting an exhibition that analyses the relationship between Pedro Almodóvar's films and the city of Madrid, which the director has used not only as a backdrop but has also featured it.

2024 marks the fiftieth anniversary since Almodóvar began his career in Madrid. His first short film was released in 1974, making him one of the most internationally renowned directors. On the other hand, it is appropriate that this exhibition is being held at the Conde Duque Cultural Centre, as one of his most iconic film scenes was shot on the façade of the building: the legendary moment of a hosepipe cooling down the actress, Carmen Maura, in Law of Desire (1987).

The exhibition presents more than two hundred photographs of Almodóvar's films, among other works, through which visitors can see various places and landmarks around the city through the eyes of the film-maker. In the Hall spanning 695 m² with a capacity for 230 people, this project develops the most iconic Madrid scenes and places from the director's 23 films.

The material on display is mainly graphic and is on loan from the El Deseo production company, selected by the curator, Pedro Sánchez, along with 53 original pieces, some of which are on loan from the following municipal institutions: the Contemporary Art Museum and the Municipal Newspaper Archive, which has also loaned two newspaper copies, as well as the Reina Sofía Museum (documentation from the Blanca Sánchez collection), the Film Library (backdrops and sketches by Félix Murcia), private collections and the Olontia Foundation.