Art as a Collective Object

The Manila Shawl, and the creation of a collective art object or exhibition, can provide an in-depth look at this fashion accessory, a component of regional costumes, and a muse for Hispanic art and craftsmanship. The Manila shawl has an Asian form, Hispanic-American color and exuberance, and a Spanish soul; a transition from one culture to another, until it becomes a collective object of undeniable beauty. The exhibition consists mainly of Verónica Durán Castello’s collection of Manila shawls, who has spent 25 years gathering pieces that are unique in their design, embroidery, and state of preservation. It will also feature shawls belonging to well-known figures (such as Imperio Argentina, Lolita Flores, Olga Ramos, and Infanta Elena de Borbón) as well as objects like the boxes that hold the Manila shawls—exceptional pieces due to their beauty and artistic and symbolic content.

The first shawls arrived starting in 1565, when Miguel López de Legazpi, commanding the Nao San Pedro, discovered the maritime route that crossed the Pacific Ocean from east to west, known as the Manila Galleon Route. It departed from Manila loaded with porcelain, jade, screens, lacquerware, silk, and Manila shawls, and after passing through Mexico, set course for Seville or Cadiz.

Event in Spanish

Free entry. The exhibition opens on Tuesday 8 September at 7.30pm and closes at 6pm on Wednesday 30 September. Torreón de Lozoya – Caballerizas.

Opening hours:
Tuesday- Friday: 10am–2pm & 4pm–7pm
Saturday: 10am–2pm & 4pm–8pm
Sunday: 10am–2pm (closed Sunday afternoons)
Monday: Closed

Co-organised with La Real Fábrica de Tapices, Kaizen Hotels and SilkRut