La Perla Peregrina. Fernando Sánchez Castillo

Madrid-born artist Fernando Sánchez Castillo is exhibiting at the Palacio de Velázquez, from 24 June to 8 March 2027, a show that takes its title from the famous jewel whose history encapsulates a close relationship between singularity, value and authority. In this project, the artist reflects through his work that, just as pearls are the result of transforming an intrusion into something unique and beautiful, art does not eliminate trauma or dissolve it in tradition, but rather isolates it, transforms it and returns it in an unexpected and singular form.

Sánchez Castillo intervenes with his works, primarily sculptures, in the ways in which power is represented, dismantles its symbols and reveals the fragility of the narratives that sustain it. His work, and its installation in this exhibition, act as a critical device that intervenes in the imaginaries from which power builds its authority, inviting the public to question the reasons for its order and its contradictions.

Working with the remnants of history, the artist modifies materials, scales and uses to subvert the relationship with them and activate new layers of meaning. A monumental sculpture becomes a swing; robots become tools of abstraction; two riot-control vehicles perform a pas de deux dance. By altering their original functions, these pieces question assumed forms of normality and reveal the extent to which many expressions of authority, obedience and representation are presented as natural. At the same time, they engage in a dialogue with key moments in art history, from the Baroque to the avant-garde, minimalism and conceptual art.