Andrea Canepa's Playful Interventions Across Madrid and Valencia
Andrea Canepa, a Spanish-Peruvian artist, explores play as bodily knowledge in two concurrent Madrid exhibitions. 'Fardo' at Palacio de Cristal (Museo Reina Sofía, Jan 13, 2026–Jan 1, 2027) envelops the glass palace in canvas inspired by Paracas funerary bundles and the praxinoscope, requiring viewer movement to activate the work. 'Salto, giro, cadencia, trance' at Galería Crisis uses the zumbayllu (spinning top) from José María Arguedas's novel to address anti-colonial resistance via Taki Onqoy and Andean dance costumes. Canepa also recently intervened at IVAM with 'Entre lo profundo y lo distante' (2025–26), juxtaposing Andean and European perspectives. Her practice, rooted in Montessori, Pestalozzi, and Rudolf Laban theories, treats materials as thinking entities and play as a means to suspend hierarchies and test institutional rules.
Key facts
- Andrea Canepa's 'Fardo' at Palacio de Cristal runs Jan 13, 2026–Jan 1, 2027.
- 'Salto, giro, cadencia, trance' at Galería Crisis in Madrid features works inspired by the zumbayllu and Taki Onqoy.
- Canepa's IVAM exhibition 'Entre lo profundo y lo distante' ran 2025–26.
- Her 2017 exhibition 'Margen de juego' at Galería Rosa Santos explored play theories.
- The artist uses play as a form of bodily knowledge and experimentation.
- Canepa's work often references Andean cosmology and anti-colonial resistance.
- She considers materials to have resistance, temperature, memory, and fragility.
- The Palacio de Cristal installation requires viewer movement to reveal its logic.
Entities
Artists
- Andrea Canepa
- José María Arguedas
- Rudolf Laban
- Maria Montessori
- Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
Institutions
- Galería Crisis
- Galería Rosa Santos
- Museo Reina Sofía
- Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno (IVAM)
- Palacio de Cristal
- Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Condeduque
Locations
- Madrid
- Spain
- Valencia
- Retiro Park
- Berlin