Guided Visit to Terrafilia Exhibition at Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza

IE School of Humanities, IE Sustainability Office, and the IE Arts & Business Club co-hosted a guided visit to Terrafilia, an exhibition presented by TBA21 (Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary) and curated by Daniela Zyman at the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid.

Terrafilia brought together nearly 100 works from the Thyssen collection in dialogue with contemporary pieces, encouraging participants to reflect on humanity’s role within a broader planetary community. Organized into six thematic "chapters"—cosmologies, symbiosis, myths, dreams, extractivism, and repair—the exhibition explored the synergy of art and nature across time while addressing urgent ecological and cultural issues.

The visit provided attendees with an immersive and multisensory experience that went beyond visual engagement. A highlight was the olfactory installation whereareWEarewhere by Sissel Tolaas, which invited visitors to interact with art through the sense of smell, alongside works that engaged sound and tactility.

Through this initiative, participants were able to explore more-than-human perspectives, multispecies relationships, and the role of art as an ecological and cultural catalyst. The event highlighted values of reciprocity, care, and relational thinking as essential for imagining ecological futures.