Featherwork. Nature, identity and power

On view until 17 January 2027

The exhibition project Feather Art: Nature, Identity and Power offers an interdisciplinary reflection on the symbolic, material and epistemological significance of feathers across cultures around the world. Through a selection of historical, scientific and artistic objects, the exhibition explores how a material of natural origin has been transformed into a cultural artefact, a symbol of power and a source of artistic creation.

The exhibition examines the history of feather use from an interdisciplinary perspective, bringing together science, history, anthropology, art and critical museology. It also considers the environmental consequences of the widespread use of feathers in European fashion during the 18th and 19th centuries, a phenomenon that led to a dramatic decline in numerous bird species and contributed to the emergence of the first modern wildlife conservation movements.

The exhibition concludes with a dialogue with contemporary art through the work of artist Henar Iglesias, whose artistic practice critically revisits the tradition of feather art and its symbolic, technical and aesthetic dimensions.

The project has benefited from loans of artworks and objects from the National Museum of Decorative Arts, the National Museum of Anthropology, the Museum of the Americas, the National Museum of Costume, the National Museum of Ceramics and Decorative Arts "González Martí", the Museum of Salamanca and private collectors. In addition, institutions such as the Weltmuseum (Austria), the National Palace Museum in Taipei (China), the National Museum of Scotland, the Bodleian Library (United Kingdom), the British Museum, the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana (Italy), the Pedro de Osma Museum (Peru) and the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology (Argentina), among others, have contributed images to provide context for the exhibition narrative.

The project also represents an example of cultural diplomacy, thanks to the collaboration and support of the Embassies of Mexico, Peru and China, reinforcing the role of heritage as a tool for dialogue, cooperation and cultural exchange.