Seven in a Week

In 7 exhibitions to Madrid

Freek Claessens

Guide

November 2025

Freek Claessens

Curator Joël Riff has been doing it for years: every day he visits at least one exhibition, seven days a week. About the 7 best exhibitions he saw, he previously wrote in his weekly column Chronique Curiosité. Riff: 'I saw some gallery owners more often than my own mother.'

Inspired by his dedication and boundless curiosity, we introduced the section Seven in a Week, in which readers of See All This share their own 7 favourite exhibitions. In this edition, Freek Claessens takes you along on his road trip to Madrid, stopping at several places worth a visit along the way.

Freek Claessens

Fig 1. Piet Moget, Untitled, Lieu d'art contemporain (LAC), Sigean, Frankrijk.

1. Helen Frankenthaler: Move and Make

1. Helen Frankenthaler: Move and Make

Museum Reinhard Ernst Wiesbaden, Wilhelmstraße 1, 65185 Wiesbaden, Duitsland

Reinhard Ernst Wiesbaden is a new museum designed by Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki. Large-scale works by Helen Frankenthaler (1928–2011) from the collection of Reinhard and Sonja Ernst are part of the spaciously curated exhibition. It’s a beautiful collection, complemented by large studio photographs. What makes it special is that Frankenthaler’s mother was from Wiesbaden, the location of the museum. The permanent collection, which includes abstract expressionism, is also worth a visit.

2. The Shakers: A World in the Making

Vitra Design Museum Weil am Rhein, Charles-Eames-Straße 2, 79576 Weil am Rhein, Duitsland

Fig 3. The Shakers, Modified side chair, Sabbathday Lake, ME, USA, c. 1875-99 | © photo: Vitra Design Museum, Alex Lesage, courtesy Shaker Museum, Chatham, New York

Vitra Design Museum Weil am Rhein, Charles-Eames-Straße 2, 79576 Weil am Rhein, Duitsland

This exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum explores the Shaker community and their design culture. Their creations are functional designs with simple forms, which have influenced modern design and designers who still inspire us to this day.

3. Musée de la Mode & du Costume

Fig 4. Various manufactures for the Arles market, Headdress ribbons, 1830 - 1850, Polychrome silk velvets | Collection of the Fashion and Costume Museum, Fragonard, © foto: Fanny Terno

3. Musée de la Mode & du Costume

16 Rue de la Calade, 13200 Arles, Frankrijk

This past summer, Fragonard Parfumeur opened the Musée de la Mode & du Costume, a museum dedicated to the history of fashion in the region, housed in a beautifully restored building in the old town. Inventive displays use mirrors, a deep chocolate-brown backdrop, and excellent lighting to highlight Provençal fashion to great effect.

4. Musée Granet

Pl. Saint-Jean de Malte, 13100 Aix-en-Provence, Frankrijk

Fig 5. Paul Cézanne, Maison et ferme du Jas de Bouffan, 1885-1887, oil on canvas, 60,8 x 73,8 cm | National Gallery Prague, © National Gallery Prague 2023

Pl. Saint-Jean de Malte, 13100 Aix-en-Provence, Frankrijk

The Musée Granet is showcasing the works Paul Cézanne (1839–1906) created in and for the Bastide du Jas de Bouffan, the house where he grew up and lived. We took the opportunity to visit the ongoing restoration of the Bastide, which added an extra layer of meaning to the works in Musée Granet.

5. Lieu d'Art Contemporain

Fig 6. Exhibition Carel Vissers, Lieu d'art contemporain (LAC), Sigean, Frankrijk.

5. Lieu d'Art Contemporain

Rue de la Berre, 11130 Sigean, Frankrijk

The work of the Dutch artist Carel Visser (1928–2015) truly comes into its own in this former wine cooperative – an environment very similar to the place where Visser created many of his works.

6. Fundació Mas Miró

Finca Mas Miró, s/n, 43300 Mont-roig del Camp, Tarragona, Spanje

Fig 7. Atelier of Joan Miró, Fundació Mas Miró

Finca Mas Miró, s/n, 43300 Mont-roig del Camp, Tarragona, Spanje

Fundació Mas Miró is the house and studio where the painting career of Joan Miró (1893-1983) began, and to which he continually returned to throughout his life. With its original furnishings and the presence of his personal belongings, it is a special and magical place.

7. Fundación Antonio Pérez

Fig 8. Monastery where Antonio Pérez stayed, photo: Archivo FAP, Santiago Torralba

7. Fundación Antonio Pérez

Rda. Julián Romero, 20, 16001 Cuenca, Spanje

Cuenca is een mooie plaats waarvan het oude centrum hoog op een berg ligt – de huizen lijken geplakt tegen de bergwand. In een oud klooster is de collectie van schrijver en filosoof Antonio Pérez (1934-2024) te zien in een labyrint van ruimtes. Als verrassing kregen we een goede vertegenwoordiging van Lucebert over de werken van Pérez.

Cuenca is a beautiful town whose old center sits high on a mountain – the houses appear almost glued to the cliffside. In an old monastery, you can visit the collection of writer and philosopher Antonio Pérez (1540–1611), displayed in a labyrinth of rooms. As a surprise, we also got a strong presentation from Lucebert about the works of Pérez.

Do you want to curate your own ‘Seven in a Week’ and get a chance to have it published? Send us your selection of 7 exhibitions with each a short impression (max. 100 words per exhibition), including links to the exhibitions, via the button below.

The editorial team carefully reviews all submissions and selects which ones will be published in this new online section. As a thank-you, the chosen authors will receive a one-year subscription as a gift (to keep or give away).

Submit your exhibitions here.

Read the previous edition of Seven in a Week with Joël Riff here.