Framed within the PHotoESPA\u00d1A<\/em> programme, the exhibition marks ten years of her creative journey, inviting fresh perspectives on how we view the world.<\/p>\n Owned by Spain’s Ministry of Culture, Museo Cerralbo<\/em> houses a remarkable historical collection assembled by the Marqu\u00e9s between 1883 and 1893. With over 50,000 items\u2014paintings, furniture, ceramics, tapestry\u2014it preserves the original grandeur of a 19th-century palace.<\/p>\n For nearly two decades, it has partnered with PHotoESPA\u00d1A<\/em> to connect historical photography with contemporary art through both archival and new proposals.<\/p>\n Launched in 2015 as a conceptual response to the lack of non-sexualised heroines in popular imagery, Miss Beige<\/em> performs in a full beige ensemble\u2014complete with gloves, handbag, and a hammer symbolising everyday strength\u2014defying mainstream, social-media aesthetics.<\/p>\n Born Ana Esmith<\/em> in Madrid (1976), she studied Journalism (UCM) before training in Drama at Philippe Gaulier<\/em>\u2019s school in London, where she lived for fifteen years. Since returning to Madrid, her work has appeared at ARCO<\/em>, JustMad<\/em>, RIZOMA<\/em>, Formentera Fotogr\u00e1fica<\/em>, CA2M<\/em>, and Carmen Thyssen Museum<\/em>.<\/p>\n Its title plays on dual meanings\u2014courtesy in a Rococo palace and the modern imperative to “be present” amid social filters. Miss Beige<\/em> delivers a visual manifesto: “If you\u2019re not there, you don\u2019t exist”<\/em>, suggesting that silent presence and dignity are aesthetic forms of resistance.<\/p>\n Staged across two principal rooms, the exhibition engages in dialogue with the palace\u2019s architecture and collections. Highlights include ten years of photographs, exclusive works created for the museum, models, key objects (shoes, hammer, Glovo<\/em> backpack), and a black-and-white performative short film with Miss Beige<\/em> dancing\u2014an homage blending La La Land<\/em> with her roots in Usera.<\/p>\n The neutral, antiseptic beige of Miss Beige\u2019s wardrobe acts as a symbol of \u201canti-selfie\u201d culture. By opposing Instagram filters and digital retouching, she reclaims a dignified, unfettered femininity through humour and fantasy, turning everyday life into performance and inviting audiences to recognise and reflect on the absurd within the mundane.<\/p>\n Visitor engagement is essential. In “Hay que saber estar”<\/em>, the viewer transitions from observer to observed, as the silent beige figure surprises with its stillness\u2014an invitation to stop, observe without filters, and question one’s place in the world.<\/p>\n Her work has extended into urban performance and film: ARCO<\/em> shows in Glovo<\/em> gear, gallery interventions, La Miss Beige de Michelangelo<\/em> (2017), Maison Beige<\/em> (2018), Se Nota, Se Siente\u2026<\/em> (2019) and Paseo en Glovo<\/em> (2020). With over 12K followers, she\u2019s also featured in the short film Usera<\/em> and appeared in Tristesse<\/em> (2020). Her self-portraits riff on classics like American Gothic<\/em>, underscoring her subversive stance.<\/p>\n More than visual performance, Miss Beige<\/em> is a feminist and working-class statement. The hammer symbolises pushback against gender violence, the Glovo<\/em> bag highlights labour precarity, and her impassive demeanour challenges elite cultural spaces.<\/p>\n A fresh take on contemporary art:<\/strong> photography, performance, sculpture and installation intersect.<\/p>\n A critical reflection<\/strong> on social media, feminism and visibility.<\/p>\n Architectural harmony:<\/strong> the exhibition converses with the palace\u2019s structure and collections.<\/p>\n A transformative viewer experience:<\/strong> the audience becomes part of the art narrative.<\/p>\n Joy and provocation:<\/strong> laughter and surprise spark cultural change.<\/p>\n Hay que saber estar<\/em> is more than an exhibition\u2014it\u2019s a silent, forceful manifesto showing how a critical feminist installation can emerge from the everyday without shouting. Beige becomes a flag, silence becomes voice, and presence becomes cultural disruption.<\/p>\n Until 7 September, Museo Cerralbo<\/em> opens its doors to a heroine without a cape or filters. Don\u2019t miss this unique opportunity to reflect, laugh\u2014and, most importantly, relearn how to be.<\/p>\n Dates:<\/strong> 12 June \u2013 7 September 2025<\/p>\n Venue:<\/strong> Museo Cerralbo (Ventura Rodr\u00edguez, 17, Madrid)<\/p>\n Hours:<\/strong> Tues\u2013Sat 09:30\u201315:00 (Thu until 20:00<\/em>), Sun\/holidays 10:00\u201315:00<\/p>\n Admission:<\/strong> Included with general museum entry<\/p>\n (*)<\/strong> Photos provided by La F\u00e1brica.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A centenary to remember In the twilight of its hundred-year journey, this 19th-century Madrid palace presents a site-specific work by Miss Beige\u2014the performing persona of multidisciplinary artist Ana Esmith. Framed within the PHotoESPA\u00d1A programme, the exhibition marks ten years of her creative journey, inviting fresh perspectives on how we view the world. Museo Cerralbo: History […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":88545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5910,5908,5902,5901,5900],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-88584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-madrid-en","category-cities","category-exhibitions","category-artists","category-art-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ccmagazine.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/PHE25_Museo_Cerralbo_Miss_Beige_JOR0461-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMuseo Cerralbo: History and photography<\/h6>\n
Miss Beige: Identity and Creative Philosophy<\/h6>\n
\u201cI dare to be who I am.\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ccmagazine.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MuseoCerralbo_MissBeige.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\u201cHay que saber estar\u201d: Designed for the palace<\/h6>\n
Critical Aesthetics: Beige as statement<\/h6>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ccmagazine.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MuseoCerralbo_MissBeige3.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAudience Interaction: From myth to experience<\/h6>\n
Miss Beige in urban and cinematic form<\/h6>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ccmagazine.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MuseoCerralbo_MissBeige2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFeminist and social undertones<\/h6>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ccmagazine.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/MuseoCerralbo_MissBeige4.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\u201cFantasy and humour are political tools to take ownership of space and challenge the gaze.\u201d<\/h2>\n
Why Visit?<\/h6>\n
Reinventing “Being There”<\/h6>\n
Key Details<\/h6>\n