The City Council of Madrid, alongside the Casa de México Foundation in Spain, has introduced four altars to celebrate the Day of the Dead, a traditional Mexican festival that honours deceased loved ones. These altars are accessible to the public until 8 November.
Located at the Palacio de Cristal in Arganzuela, Retiro Park, CentroCentro, and the Teatro Fernán Gómez - Centro Cultural de la Villa, the altars are designed to symbolise the joyful reunion with departed loved ones through affection and remembrance. This year's altars reflect themes of nature, the universe, and the Generation of '27, a group of influential Spanish poets and artists.
The Day of the Dead, recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2003, combines pre-Hispanic and Western traditions. Celebrated on 2 November, the festival coincides with the Catholic feast of All Saints, as indigenous peoples adapted their ancestral practices to align with the Christian calendar, marking the end of the maize agricultural cycle.
The altars are designed to transform sadness into joy, memory into celebration, and mourning into festivity, showcasing Mexico's significant cultural contribution to the global imagination through vibrant and symbolic displays.
The altar at the Palacio de Cristal is dedicated to renowned Spanish botanists and draws inspiration from Mesoamerican cosmology, creating a space where memory, nature, and connection intertwine. Designed by Señoritos Creativos, it features four pathways leading to an ascending composition of flowers and papel picado, a traditional decorative paper.
In Retiro Park, another altar constructed with flowers, earth, clay, jute, bread, light, and memory takes the form of a mountain, designed by Fer Feres. This irregular structure appears to rise from the ground, transforming the pavement into an offering, while a tunnel symbolically guides visitors to Mictlán, the ancestral realm of the dead.
The altar at CentroCentro showcases predominantly white and silver tones, representing purity, peace, and light accompanying the souls' return to the living world. This creation by Guillermo González highlights the enduring connection that transcends time and distance.
The altar at the Teatro Fernán Gómez, produced in-house and designed by Antiquísima, poetically bridges the Mexican Day of the Dead tradition with the memory of the Generation of '27 and Las Sinsombrero, a group of silenced female artists and thinkers. This altar brings back the voices of these creators through words, painting, music, and thought.
Additionally, educational workshops related to decorative elements of the altars will be held at these municipal spaces. These workshops are free, with limited places available upon prior registration. Another altar inspired by the mountains of Michoacán and dedicated to Mexican singer-songwriter Agustín Lara will also be on display at the Casa de México until 8 November.
