Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza shares her thoughts on the major exhibition 'Terrafilia'

"I'm sorry I don't speak Spanish, but I strongly identify with Spain and I'm proud to contribute something here." These are the words of Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza in a lengthy conversation with ABC Cultural. The Thyssen Museum's major summer exhibition in Madrid, 'Terrafilia. Beyond the Human in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collections,' opens. The TBA-21 Foundation of the Baron's daughter marks a new milestone for the art gallery. Her arrival there, which took place five years ago, is now consolidated with an exhibition that condenses and illustrates her current interests as a collector and citizen of the world. And it represents new ways of collaborating with the Madrid museum. Along with the interview, we analyze the 'Terrafilia' exhibition.

On the other hand, the supplement's critics examine some of the most relevant recently published titles. Among them, in Fiction, "The Birds" (Nórdica). Cult Norwegian writer Tarjei Vesaas offers us a moving existential fable with poetic touches; and "Agrohorror" (Eolas). A collection of stories by various authors, including Pilar Adón, about rural life connected to the unsettling.

Also featured are "The Wake of Selkirk" (Galaxia Gutenberg) by Eduardo Lago . A crazy plot in the style of DeLillo and Pynchon; "The Secret of My Success" (Espasa). Gervasio Posadas gives us a successful novel with a fun plot that also invites us to an essential reflection on today's crazy world; and "Europe" (Anagrama). A revised reissue of Luis López Carrasco 's stories about the Old Continent.

In Essay, "The Failure of the Weimar Republic" (Taurus). This work by German historian and journalist Volker Ulrich offers nods to the present and draws lessons and warnings for today's Western world; "The Eclipse of the Father" (La Esfera de los Libros). Essayist Gabriel Albiac rigorously dismantles the intellectual decay of the "woke"; "Two Afternoons with Kafka" (Alianza). Manuel Vilas explores and pays homage to the author of "The Metamorphosis." And "Notes for John" (Random House), Joan Didion's psychoanalytic sessions in an unsentimental autobiography.

In Poetry, "The Devil in Poetry. Poets with the Devil" (Visor), by Jesús García Sánchez. The man known as Chus Visor celebrates the 1,200th edition of his collection with this great infernal anthology. In Theater, an impeccable edition of "Life is a Dream." Professor Fausta Antonucci revisits Pedro Calderón de la Berca's immortal classic and examines the great Baroque drama.

We interviewed David Uclés , who has made a splash with his novel 'The Peninsula of Empty Houses' (Siruela), which has already surpassed fifteen editions and is perched on the best-seller list.

The Art section opens its pages with 'BienalSur 2025'. Exhibitions in various locations provide an expanded map of critical art. This year's edition celebrates its fifth edition and consolidates a transnational network spanning up to 34 countries. Spain strengthens its presence in this new edition.

It also oversees the Art Nou 2025 festival, whose aim, once again this year, is for Barcelona galleries to test new artists, lending them their spaces while the season winds down. And we visited, among other exhibitions, "Following the Crooked Path," an atypical retrospective of the painter Curro González in his native Seville, dedicated to the photographer David Bailey, an exhaustive review of the work of this witness to Swinging London.

In Pantallas, filmmaker Jaime Rosales explains his theory on comedy and praises this film genre, with humor, of course.

The authors of Álvaro Enrigue ; Jesús García Calero ; the writer and academic Clara Sánchez ; Carlos Aganzo ; Javier Villuendas ; Bruno Pardo Porto; Rebeca Argudo and Javier Díaz-Guardiola , along with a new installment of the series 'Pues dices tú' by Rodrigo Cortes, complete an issue whose enjoyment will refresh you from the heat wave.