From February 6 to March 9, 2025, the Académie des Beaux-Arts will host the annual exhibition of the artists of the 94th class of the Casa de Velázquez – Académie de France in Madrid. Held at the Pavillon Comtesse de Caen, this exhibition serves as both a restitution and an extension of their year of immersion in the Iberian Peninsula from September 2023 to July 2024.
The kaleidoscope, a metaphor used by Walter Benjamin to describe the multiplicity and fragmentation of modern experience, lends its name to the exhibition, illustrating the diversity of artistic approaches among the artists of the Casa de Velázquez. Like Benjamin’s kaleidoscope, their works symbolize a continuous transformation, connecting timeless images and perceptions that reflect the complexity and diversity of a constantly evolving world.
Thus, the exhibition seeks to reflect the singularity of each artist while offering an interconnected vision of their works, shaped by the wide range of contemporary artistic practices.
Kaleidoscope presents a global and collective vision of a year in residence—often a pivotal moment in the conceptual and professional trajectory of the artists—while also highlighting the unique character of each project on display.
For the occasion, the artists have selected the pieces most representative of their production and research at the Casa de Velázquez, coming together to create this multidisciplinary and thematic proposal where memory, gender issues, hybridity, ecology, and artificial intelligence coexist and engage in dialogue.
A meeting point between the public and contemporary creation in residence, the exhibition also illustrates the strong ties between the Académie des Beaux-Arts and the Casa de Velázquez. As a long-standing institutional supporter of the Académie de France in Madrid since its inception, the Académie des Beaux-Arts plays an active role in supporting resident artists, notably by participating in the selection of incoming classes and ensuring the follow-up of their projects throughout their year at the Casa de Velázquez.
