Electric Sheep and Telefonica

I am sorry to say we are still having worrying times with my mum so it's good to retreat into pleasant memories of Madrid.   And one of my best memories of Madrid is Telefonica, the telecoms company.  Yes, that's right, the company that provides broadband and telephone services.   But Telefonica isn't just about trying to flog you a cheap payment plan and pestering you with sales calls. Nor is it just an out of date computer virus. 

Its original headquarters stands in a prominent position on Gran Via, a big street in Madrid which reminds me of old pictures of New York of the 1920s (click here to see what I mean),  Hardly surprising, since some of Europe's first skyscrapers were built in Gran Via, and they're mostly still there.

Telefonica's 1930 headquarters is arguably the finest of these old skyscrapers. Its topped with a forest of aerials (just visible in the photo) and combines the simplicity of art deco, and the elaborate baroque style so characteristic of Spain.

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When I passed, its downstairs windows shone with a strange, bright blue light, so I peeped in at the main door.    Inside it was a mix of blue, white and gold, old and new.  There were ever-changing LED display stairs. ....

and sleek, modern, white surfaces.......

and loads of the latest phones and computers, of course, as well as this giant screen with a virtual pebbly stream you could splash in without getting your fingers wet. . 

Yet original bits of the flagship 1930 building were cleverly integrated, like this magnificent golden ceiling

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and a touching memorial showing a vintage telephonist with a rose bush and a dove.

Exploring further, I found that Telefonica is a patron of the arts.  On the top floor is the company's large collection of Cubist paintings and a specially made movie about Cubism in Madrid.   On the middle floor is a well displayed and fascinating museum (in Spanish and English) of telephony and telegraphy going right up to the future!  Here's an older exhibits: a telegraph using a piano keyboard..

My favourite floor has a lecture theatre and displays temporary art exhibitions.  When I was there, they had the finalists in the company's annual competition on the theme of art  and artiificial intelligence.  Of all the strange and fascinating artworks,  the two that caught my imagination were "Electric Sheep" by Scott Draves, and "Hylozoic Soil" by Philip Beesley and Rob Gorbett.

"Electric Sheep" is electronic "artwork" automatically created by the output of  thousands of computers which are not currently being used (that is, "sleeping" - the computers are counting sheep, in a way.)  Several screens produce endless kaleidoscopic patterns seguing into one another, suggesting all kinds of things. - heaven, hell,, flowers, planets, robots, strange psychedelic creatures.... I could have watched them for hours.

"Hylozoic Soil" was extremely beautiful - a towering crystalline forest full of what seemed to be unearthly flowering trees.  The work is made of acrylic tiles fitted with sensors to pick up human presence, and glass bulbs containing artificial cells called Traube cells -  self-assembling chemical systems which do not contain DNA.

When you walk in, the forest reacts to you, bending and swaying according to what you do.  Wow! It is quite an experience and I can see why it won first prize.   If you want to see more images of this work, click here

Part of the building has been renovated in bold and almost abstract style, with a fabulous modern staircase that is like a piece of art in itself, all steel and glass and iron.



in strange contrast with the more traditional architecture visible through the windows.



I don't know what telecoms prices in Spain are, but personally  I'd pay a bit extra myself to support something like the imaginative Telefonica building and its galleries.  I spent over half a day there.  It's all free and I think it should be one of the top attractions in Madrid.   Believe it or not, though, I didn't even find it in my guidebook.