The ICO Museum has inaugurated Las Ferias del Campo. Landscapes and modern architectures in the Casa de Campo, an exhibition that recovers the history of the National and International Country Fairs (1950-1975), that ambitious project that transformed the Casa de Campo into a city within a city, full of pavilions with art, science and futuristic architecture from every corner of the country.
For decades, the country fairs were the great national showcase. There you could tour Spain without leaving Madrid. Visitors strolled among spaces dedicated to each province, some recreated with their characteristic architectural styles, enjoyed agricultural exhibitions, regional dances and local gastronomy.
Later, with its conversion into the International Country Fair, the site was filled with pavilions from countries such as Mexico, France and Japan, and the Casa de Campo became a laboratory of modern ideas, a space where architecture, art and technology coexisted in a visionary way.
The exhibition is curated by architect José de Coca Leicher and brings together more than 300 pieces including plans, original models, unpublished photographs and works of art that show the evolution of the fairgrounds and its cultural and urban impact. Through a visual and documentary journey, it brings to life 115 pavilions designed by great names of modern Spanish architecture, such as Francisco de Asís Cabrero, Miguel Fisac, Alejandro de la Sota, José Antonio Corrales or Ramón Vázquez Molezún. Many of these buildings still survive in Casa de Campo, although some remain forgotten or converted.
Country Fairs: architectural jewels
Among the highlights of the exhibition are the Hexagons Pavilion, the Glass Pavilion and the general layout of the site, all pioneers in their innovative use of materials and construction techniques in the post-war period. One of the most attractive sections is the contemporary photographic series by the artist Luis Asín, who captures the current pavilions between the melancholy of abandonment and the beauty of the architectural legacy.
Beyond nostalgia, the exhibition poses a reflection on Madrid’s identity and its role as a cultural and technological avant-garde city during a complex period. The fairs not only showed progress and modernity, but also served as a stage to imagine a new country through design and architecture.
Las Ferias del Campo. Paisajes y arquitecturas modernas en la Casa de Campo can be visited free of charge at the Museo ICO (Calle Zorrilla 3, next to Paseo del Prado) until January 11, 2026, Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm, and Sundays and holidays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.