Socials
The conference kicks off with welcome drinks at Bee Beer, a cozy gastropub with a selection of ten artesanal beers on tap, including many self-produced using unconventional ingredients.
The pub is located in front of the Temple of Debod, an authentic 2200-year old Nubian temple donated to Spain by Egypt in 1968. It is one of very few examples of Ancient Egyptian architecture outside Egypt, and the only one in Spain. Around the temple is an overlook that offers spectacular views of the Royal Palace at sunset.
The reception starts at 18:00. Tapas will be served throughout the evening. A walking party will leave for the pub from the Ocean Drive hotel at 17:40.
Part of the "Golden Triangle" of Madrid's museums, the Thyssen boasts one of the largest and most impressive collections of Western painting in Europe, spanning 800 years of history and including pieces by Van Eyck, Titian, Caravaggio, Rubens, Rembrandt, Monet, Degas, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, Kandinsky, Dalí, Hopper, Pollock, and others.
The core collection was assembled by the Thyssen family in the course of just two generations and rounded off with acquisitions by the government of Spain. It currently comprises around 1500 paintings, a large proportion of which are masterpieces.
Two art historians will guide the group on a 90-minute visit of the collection. The visit starts at 17:15. The group will meet by the museum entrance at 17:00.
After the tour, the group will head to the iconic Circle of Fine Arts building in downtown Madrid for drinks and dinner in its rooftop restaurant.
The building, where Picasso once took painting classes, was completed in 1926 and housed during parts of its history an illegal gambling den, a Carnival ballroom, and a prison for political dissidents. It is now a national monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its rooftop provides a nearly 360-degree view of the city, including vistas of the Sierra.
The restaurant serves classic dishes of Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine, with paired wines. There will be a half-hour reception before dinner with cava and tapas to enjoy the terrace.