The National Archaeological Museum (MAN) in Madrid is embarking on a fascinating journey, bridging the gap between ancient history and contemporary art with its latest exhibition, “Caps [y] Bous. The Third Horn,” by Mallorcan artist Bernardí Roig. Running until May 25, 2025, the exhibition invites visitors to see the museum’s collection through a fresh, thought-provoking lens.
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Roig, a celebrated Spanish artist known for his diverse work spanning sculpture, video, drawing, painting, and text, has created six pieces specifically for this exhibition. Inspired by the very essence of the museum – its spaces, its artifacts, and the stories they hold – Roig’s work meditates on universal themes of memory, time, and identity. It’s not just about placing modern art in an old setting; it’s a conversation across millennia.
The exhibition’s title, “The Third Horn,” hints at the central inspiration: the Costitx Bulls, three striking bronze sculptures from the Talayotic culture, dating back to the 5th-3rd centuries BC. These ancient figures sparked Roig’s imagination, leading him to create a series of works that resonate with the museum’s existing collection while offering a distinctly modern perspective.
One of the most striking pieces, also titled “The Third Horn,” is a towering structure of light housed in the museum’s Iberian Courtyard. This luminous beacon engages in a visual dialogue with the somber Iberian funerary monument of Pozo Moro, creating a powerful juxtaposition of light and shadow, life and death. Inside the light tower resides a bull’s head sculpture, its most prominent feature being a third, golden horn—a symbolic element that adds a layer of intrigue to the already compelling piece.
Roig’s interventions extend beyond the Iberian Courtyard. In the Roman Courtyard, amidst the stoic busts of emperors, stands “Anibal J.,” a bronze head with an exaggerated, gilded nose. This piece, placed amongst the symbols of Roman power, invites reflection on the passage of time and the shifting nature of empires. Meanwhile, in the tranquil Archaeologists’ Garden, a ten-meter-long golden gate, intentionally left ajar, offers a symbolic “escape inwards,” a contemplative space for introspection, as described by the artist.
This isn’t the first time the MAN has embraced contemporary art. The museum, since its transformation a decade ago, has actively sought to create a dialogue between scientific and artistic disciplines. Previous exhibitions, like Miguel Ángel Blanco’s exploration of Roman mines in Hispania and Cristino de Vera’s paintings and drawings, demonstrate the museum’s commitment to showcasing contemporary art that engages with its historical collections.
