It is possible that, if a foreigner who has seen Money Heist is asked about the country’s most important economic institution, his answer is resounding: the Bank of Spain. It has more than 130 years of history and its portrayal in the series boosted its popularity.
And to summarize these more than one hundred years of life, an exhibition called The Photographic Archive of the Bank of Spain: from albumen to pixelhas arrived this April at its headquarters in Madrid. The name of the exhibition already indicates what is inside: a synthesis of the historical evolution of the institution.
The exhibition consists of 300 photos (out of nearly 25,000 in the archive) by up to 100 prestigious photographers. It is divided into three thematic axes (portraits, physical spaces and activity of the institution) and five temporal axes:
- ‘Yellow weather’ (19th century)
- Photography as a document’ (1900-1925)
- ‘From the silver age to the transition’ (1925-1975)
- Spain is different’ (1975-2023)
- Towards artificial intelligence’ (21st century).
The exhibition offers a holistic view of Madrid and Spanish society (the cities where the Bank of Spain was headquartered are portrayed). Some of the buildings that are portrayed no longer exist and, in some way, they tell or talk about all the years that the institution has been in operation in what is also a tribute to those who have worked in some of its headquarters.
With the exhibition, Banco de España wants to “share with society the rich historical heritage it holds”.
Times, guided tours and location
The exhibition is located at the Sala Banco de España (Calle Alcalá, 52) and can be visited from Tuesday to Saturday at the following times:
- From 11.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m
- From 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m
In addition, free guided tours are available for booking in this link.