Museo de Arte en Vidrio de Alcorcón (MAVA)
Municipal museum of contemporary glass art, with more than 200 works by artists from around the world in the Castillo Grande de Valderas; free admission.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo de Arte en Vidrio de Alcorcón (MAVA) is installed in the Castillo Grande de Valderas, a building erected in 1917 on commission from the Marquess of Valderas by the architect Luis Sainz de los Terreros as a residence-palace. Originally three castles were built, and the largest served the family and its guests, among them King Alfonso XIII. The family lived there until 1936, and Alcorcón town council restored it in 1992 to return it to cultural use.
The municipal museum opened in 1997 at the initiative of the sculptor Javier Gómez. The core of the collection comes from the donation of more than sixty works by the collector Takako Sano and from direct donations by several artists. In 2018, 46 pieces from the Milan-based collectors Aldo Bellini and Sandro Pezzoli were added, which bring Italian, North American and Australian artists, and in 2021 eighteen works by the pioneer Joaquín Torres Esteban were transferred to the museum, occupying the second floor.
The permanent collection exceeds two hundred sculptures and contemporary installations made solely of glass or combined with other materials, using techniques such as cast glass, flat glass or blown glass. It is spread over three floors, with rooms dedicated to Arte y Vidrio, New Glass, Bellini and Pezzoli, “Rompiendo el techo de cristal” and Torres Esteban. The building also has a temporary exhibition room in the semi-basement, a teaching workshop with glass-fusing kilns and an assembly hall, and it has ramps and lifts.
Highlights
- More than 200 contemporary glass sculptures by artists from around the world
- Donation of Takako Sano and the Bellini and Pezzoli collection
- Room dedicated to Joaquín Torres Esteban
- Teaching workshop with glass-fusing kilns
- Virtual tour of the museum on its website
Permanent exhibition
- Colección permanente de arte en vidrio – More than two hundred sculptures and installations in glass spread over three floors, with rooms devoted to Arte y Vidrio, New Glass, Bellini and Pezzoli, “Rompiendo el techo de cristal” and Torres Esteban.
- Founded
- 1997
- Operated by
- Ayuntamiento de Alcorcón
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission to the museum and the guided visit are free. Workshops for groups have a cost for materials.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The building has access ramps and lifts between floors.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Joaquín Vilumbrales (metro, línea 10)
Metro: line 10, Joaquín Vilumbrales station. Cercanías commuter rail: San José de Valderas station.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided visits only for groups of 10 to 25 people (students from age 8 and adults), with prior booking on 911 127 630 or at visitasguiadasmava@ayto-alcorcon.es. They take place Monday to Friday at 10:30, 12:00 or 17:30 and last an hour and a half: they begin with the video “Bienvenidos al MAVA” (15 minutes) and continue with a tour of the main works. Afterwards, a creative jewellery workshop can optionally be held. The museum also offers a virtual visit on its website. |
