Since Norma Jeane Mortenson became Marilyn Monroe, she went from being a woman from Los Angeles to one of the most relevant figures of the 20th century: a whole myth was built around her figure, a character that continues to have an impact today and under which, although the world stopped seeing her, there never ceased to be a woman of flesh and blood. Coinciding with the centenary of her birth, Conde Duque is dedicating a free exhibition to her in Madrid.
Celebrating Marilyn. 1926-2026 is already on display in Exhibition Hall 1 of the Conde Duque Contemporary Culture Center (Conde Duque Street, 11), in Chamberí, bringing together a wide selection of works and objects belonging to the private collection of José Luis Rupérez.
Through it, a journey through the public and private image of Marilyn Monroe is proposed based on photographs by artists who contributed to build her image, such as André de Dienes, Earl Moran, Bernard of Hollywood, Richard Avedon or Philippe Halsman.
The snapshots are not the only support of the exhibition: there are also posters, illustrations and artistic reinterpretations of works by contemporary artists such as Ron English, Georgij Puzenkov, Death NY, David LaChapelle, Banksy, Brain Roy, Mr. Clever, Mr. Brainwash, Javier Guerra, Luis Cabrera, Nigel Borowskj or Sandra Chevrier, which allow us to see the extent of their influence on the culture of the last 70 years.
Free Film Series: An Evening with Marilyn
In parallel to the exhibition, a free film series will be held on Thursdays between November 2025 and January 2026 at Conde Duque’s Salón de Actos, showing seven of her most emblematic films.
Opening hours of the Marilyn Monroe exhibition
The exhibition can be visited until February 1, 2026 during the following schedule:
- Tuesday to Saturday: from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm.
- Sundays and holidays: from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm