Art Vivant. Within the gaze in Barcelona

The museum presents a piece of ephemeral architecture that places visitors face-to-face with the gaze of one of the greatest painters in history. Inspired by Self-Portrait wearing a hat and Two Chains by Rembrandt, the installation was conceived by two young artists—students at Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) Madrid—as an interactive experience for the public.

The piece, installed at the Torre Melina Gran Meliá hotel in Barcelona, brings together key elements of Rembrandt’s painting and reveals them to visitors through an immersive experience. Thanks to a camera obscura, guests can even take home a printed portrait of themselves.  

This initiative marks the fifth edition of Art Vivant, a collaborative project between the museum and Gran Meliá that invites young artists to reinterpret masterpieces from the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection across various disciplines.

Championing young talent, the selected project was created by Blanca Moro Santolaria and Estrella García Seoane, students of the Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design at IED Madrid—a leading design school celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year. Their proposal was chosen through an open call, standing out among nearly twenty submissions. 

Credits:
Blanca Moro Santolaria – Concept and design. 
Estrella García Seoane – Concept and design. 
Instituto Europeo di Design - IED Madrid – Development and technical execution. 

The piece has been produced in the facilities of the IED Madrid FabLab.