It was 1987 when an artistic intervention brought traffic to a standstill around Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles: it was *Rapelle toi, Bárbara!*, a theatrical reenactment of the myth of Hippomenes and Atalanta, created by the artist Ouka Leele. And that is precisely the work that serves as the starting point for the free exhibition *Modern Mythologies: Ouka Leele & Co.*
Thus, drawing on Leele’s work, the more than one hundred pieces that make up the exhibition are organized around three aspects that marked a turning point in the art of the 1980s in the capital: the emergence of new artistic languages such as photography, design, and pop art; the dialogue with painting; and mythology as a tool for interpreting the present.
In practice, this translated into the incorporation of the underground culture of comics and fanzines in the work of Ceesepe, the myths linked to the Romantic tradition in the work of El Hortelano, and the reflection on painting and art history in the work of Sigfrido Martín Begué.
Joining them are Carlos Alcolea, Miluca Sanz, Carlos Forns, Costus, and Patricia Gadea, rounding out the roster of artists featured in this free exhibition.
Dates and hours for the Ouka Leele & Co. exhibition
The exhibition has been open to the public since July 2 and will remain open until October 18, 2026. The hours are as follows:
- Tuesday through Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (including August 15).
- Sundays: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
- Closed on Mondays.
How to get there
- Metro: Sol (Lines 1, 2, 3) or Sevilla (Line 2).
- EMT: Buses 46, M2, 9, 2, and 150.
- BICIMAD Station: Puerta del Sol (1) / Banco de España.
