First-hand experience of our Community: Alejandra Queizán, Head of Sponsorship, Patronage and Friends of the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, shares her experiences with the activities of the LabThyssen project.
“The clock strikes noon on no particular Saturday at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum. A group of young people gathers in the entrance hall. Some approach the Friends Programme information point and ask about Hugáceo’s visit.
At LabThyssen – the name of the Museum’s Young Friends programme – everyone is known by name. Their WhatsApp group starts buzzing: Jorge writes, “I’m running a few minutes late”. Gabriela replies, “Same!” Once everyone – well… almost everyone – has arrived, Nico, a member of the LabThyssen team, messages the group: “Guys, the visit is about to start! If anyone’s running late, just message me and I’ll tell you where to meet us”.
LabThyssen isn’t just another attempt by a cultural institution to appear modern, nor is it a marketing campaign aimed at millennials. LabThyssen is a project built on a fundamental insight: if you want young people to visit the museum, sending an invitation isn’t enough. You have to sit down and talk to them but, perhaps more importantly, listen to them.
Since 2023, LabThyssen has been the community for Friends of the Museum under the age of 35. And while it might sound like just another generational label, what truly matters is what happens once you join: at LabThyssen, you can propose activities, vote on the ones that interest you most, attend events with educators, artists, scientists, and musicians, explore alternative art circuits, sit down with museum directors, and see the museum from perspectives you never imagined.
“And what’s so special about that?” some might ask, a little sceptical. Well… a lot. To begin with, it addresses a need shared by many cultural institutions: attracting young people without infantilising them. LabThyssen chose the more demanding – but ultimately more enduring – path: trusting in the intelligence of its participants and treating them as they are: curious, critical citizens.
Since 2024, LabThyssen has been supported by the Banco Sabadell Foundation – an incubator of social, scientific and cultural initiatives that places its trust in the expertise of the professionals who design and implement the projects it backs. Thanks to this support, the programme has opened its doors to its entire community. Artists like Carlota Perez de Castro, or members of Celera and scientists Almudena Cid and Guillermo Nevot never miss a single creative session. These sessions take place every January, during which all members propose activities to be carried out throughout the year. In 2024, out of the 67 exclusive activities offered by the Friends Programme, serving over 7,000 members, 14 were aimed specifically for the Young Friends segment.
The LabThyssen expert panel, comprised of the aforementioned figures as well as other prominent voices from the contemporary scene such as drag performer Hugáceo Crujiente, art historian and cultural educator Sara Rubayo, and photographer Rocío Aguirre, not only supports and promotes the programme to reach young people who might otherwise never set foot in a museum, but also shares their own first-hand experiences. The topics explored in the “Otro Thyssen” (Other Thyssen) activities revolve around life, the present, and what matters today: identity, gender, science, migration, mental health, and digital culture. Experts don’t need to be art historians; they speak about their personal connection to the museum’s permanent collection and draw on their backgrounds in fields like fashion, science or music to create a meaningful connection.
“The result is that many young people – LabThyssen membership doubled in 2024 alone – develop a sense of belonging. Visiting the museum is no longer a one-off experience, but a nice habit. It becomes a refuge – a place to stop and think”.
LabThyssen is a meeting point for people who share a sensitivity, a curiosity, and a desire to not only understand the world through art, but also change it.
And like any good, living programme, it evolves. Activities shift, and new satellite groups often emerge from these friendships, such as the book club, which now meets regularly among programme members. LabThyssen isn’t confined by a fixed formula; its formula is change.
Another key to its success is its tone. It doesn’t try to appear young – it simply is. Its messaging, created by Gen Z participants, is fresh and thought-provoking.
The visit ends with a lively conversation between attendees and Hugáceo Crujiente, sharing anecdotes and asking questions. Gabriela says, “What shall we eat?”. Everyone agrees to head to a nearby spot that, according to one of them, serves the best beers in Madrid. Not a single person yawned or scrolled on their phone during the entire visit. Instead, many shared photos and tagged the museum on Instagram. They do it to tell stories, but above all, to spread messages. They’re a generation raised on the motto: “If you don’t share, you don’t exist”. But they’ve also truly looked, talked and made friends because they feel safe enough to open up, to express how they feel. They’re in a space where they can be vulnerable and connect with each other… And in today’s world, that’s no small thing.
