Central Archive
The Central Archive conserves the documentation produced by the Museo from its beginnings in 1986 as the Centro de Arte Reina Sofía to the present day. Furthermore, it incorporates part of the documentation produced by preceding institutions: the Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno, the Museo Nacional de Arte Contemporáneo and the Museo Español de Arte Contemporáneo. Today, its volume totals 8,000 archive items (standardised archive boxes).
Primarily, it is made up of administrative documentation from the day-to-day management of the Museo, and technical documentation generated by specific activities: restoration reports, conservation reports, temporary exhibition files, Board of Trustees’ minutes, files for works withdrawn for temporary exhibitions, etc.
Check holidays and closing dates. By appointment only: archivo@museoreinasofia.es
Salient in the Central Archive’s categorisation chart are the following holdings reflecting its institutional history:
- Managers, Promoters and Trade Union Confederation of Plastic Artists (1968-1987)
- Museo de Arte Moderno (1894-1951)
- Museo Nacional de Arte del siglo XIX / Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno (1951-1968)
- Museo Nacional de Arte Contemporáneo (1951-1968)
- Museo Español de Arte Contemporáneo (MEAC) (1968-1988)
- Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (1986-1988)
- Jury of the Ideas Competition for the expansion of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and Monitoring Committee (1999-2007)
- Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
Currently, work is under way on a functional categorisation chart, in accordance with the guidelines of the Advanced Evaluation Committee of Administration Documents.
Explore the Central Archive
You will need to make an appointment to review the documentation
Send the request form to archivo@museoreinasofia.es several days in advance, indicating which documents you are interested in consulting.
Form (in Spanish)
The staff will contact you to arrange a day and time. Please note that the opening hours are from 9am to 2pm, Monday through Friday.
Make sure you have your Library user card to access the facilities. You can apply for it online in advance
We look forward to seeing you on the agreed day and time at the tables reserved for special collections on Floor -1 of the Library Reading Room.
Regulations
To ensure the correct use and conservation of the materials, the following rules must be respected
Identification documentation
Upon delivery of materials, you must present an identification document, which will be retained by staff until the documents are returned.
Location of the consultation
Consultation is carried out at the tables reserved for special collections, located on the Reading Room floor -1.
In addition, documents must remain on the table assigned to the user. They may not be exchanged or moved, except to return them to staff.
User responsibility
The user is responsible for the care and protection of the documents he or she consults.
Request for documents
Files must be requested one by one. Access to more than one installation unit (box) at a time is not permitted. Multiple users may also access the same document unit at the same time (except in justified exceptions authorized by the Central Archive).
Staff will monitor correct use at all times.
Conservation
The use of a pencil is only permitted while conducting the consultation. The original layout must be scrupulously maintained. Writing or making notes on the documents is prohibited. Tracings, drawings, photographs with mobile devices, folding documents, leaning on them, or placing papers on which to take notes is prohibited. The use of elements that affect the integrity of the document is prohibited.
Digital consultation
If the requested documents have digital reproductions, they will be given priority for viewing.
In compliance with the provisions of Royal Decree 1708/2011, article 25.2, and with the aim of preserving the originals.
Contact
If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Document Access Service (SACD)
Reproduction of funds, collections and documents
The Document Access Services (DAS) offers users reproductions of documents from the Central Archive, which requires them to fill out a reprography request form (in Spanish), highlighting the reproductions to make. This reproduction will depend upon documents’ state of conservation and that which is established by the legislation in force and specifically in Law 16/1985, of 25 June, on Spanish Historical Heritage and Royal Decree 1708/2011, of 18 November, by which the Spanish Archive System is established and regulated by the Archive System of the General State Administration and its Public Organisations and system of access.
Once the request has been submitted, the service’s staff will instruct users on the steps to follow and will draw up a quote, in accordance with the type of reproduction requested and its use.
The rates for reproductions are established in the Resolution of 18 July 2014, of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, by which the Agreement of the Royal Board of Trustees’ Standing Committee is published, and by which commercial prices for rendering the Museo’s services and activities is established (BOE, Official State Gazette, No. 186, of 1 August 2014).
Reproduction work will only begin once the quote has been approved and the proof of payment has been sent to the Digital Access Service.
Once the requested document has been obtained, users will be notified of its availability by email.
