BURGOS.- Broadcasting contemporary art from the ancient Abbey of Santo Domingo de Silos is an attractive project that now celebrates its twenty-fifth exhibit. This is the genesis of Silensis, the new exhibition that the Museo Reina Sofía is organising behind the walls of the Abbey. A collaborative effort that emerged eight years ago between the Ministry of Culture, the Silos Monastery and the Official Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Burgos has allowed the Abbey to become the third off-site venue associated with the Museum, together with the Palacio de Velázquez and the Palacio de Cristal in Madrid’s El Retiro Park.

Silensis is a special exhibition. A summary of the exhibition history of Silos, it features one work by each of the twenty-four artists who have been given individual exhibitions in this exclusive setting. Visitors are confronted by a true miscellany of artistic disciplines and facets, which are sometimes visibly linked to the spirituality and mysticism of the exhibition space.

Silensis offers the paintings of Antoni Tàpies, Joan Miró, Esteban Vicente, Albert Ráfols Casamada, Juan Navarro Baldeweg, Manuel Rivera, Manolo Millares, Juan Carlos Savater and Lucio Muñoz; the sculptures of Sergi Aguilar, Eduardo Chillida, Martín Chirino, Susana Solano and Xavier Mascaró; the sculpture and drawing of Carmen Laffón; the ceramics of Miquel Barceló; the sculpture, gouache and collage of Gustavo Torner; the drawing of Cristino de Vera; the engraving of Carlos Franco; the works on paper of José Manuel Broto and José María Sicilia; the photography and video of Sergio Belinchón; the livres d’artiste of Miguel Ángel Blanco; and the work in comic-book format of Francesc Ruiz.

The compendium exhibition Silensis is an excellent opportunity to discover the relationship between contemporary artwork and this historical space of Silos.