Senescence

The word senescence refers to the natural aging process of living beings, which is especially visible in plants during the autumn. It is a moment of transition that forms part of a repeating and renewing cycle.

At Matadero, this natural process takes the form of a play installation featuring a large inhabited garden made up of oversized wooden flowers. Petals, stems, leaves, and other plant shapes can be combined, assembled, and disassembled, playing with scale to create new forms and compositions.

This garden grows and evolves through participation. Flowers are built and unbuilt, leaves change places, and every action modifies the landscape we create. It is a perpetually unfinished garden where each participant can leave their mark and build upon what others have created before them.

Just as in nature, nothing remains exactly the same: some forms appear, others disappear, and in that process, new possibilities emerge. Because in autumn the garden does not disappear; it transforms.

Visitor Information

• Target Audience: Family audiences, for ages 0 and up. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times.
• Free Admission: Tickets must be downloaded via the Madrid Destino ticketing platform. Each person may download a maximum of 4 tickets.
• Ticket Release Schedule:
• Tickets for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday slots will become available on the preceding Thursday at 12:00 PM.
• Tickets for Tuesday to Thursday slots will become available on the preceding Monday at 12:00 PM.
• Please carefully assess your availability before downloading tickets, as unused spaces leave empty spots that could have been used by others.
• Session Format: 80-minute visiting slots to facilitate access. After each session, the room will be cleared to allow a new group to enter.
• ACCESSIBILITY: If you have any special needs, please write to: educacion@mataderomadrid.org.
• SCHOOL GROUPS: Morning visits for schools will be available from Tuesday to Friday by prior reservation at: educacion@mataderomadrid.com.

About the Creator

Alicia Gutiérrez is an interior architect, specialist in installations and ephemeral architecture, and a multidisciplinary designer. In 2011, she founded Ephimera (https://ephimera.eu/), a company dedicated to the design and production of exhibition architecture and models, and later created Ephimera Play, a project specializing in the design of play installations for children. Her work explores free play and sensory experimentation through open-ended materials that transform spaces into environments for creativity, exploration, and gathering.

She recently presented, alongside Priscilla Vela, the project Wild Hybridization (Hibridación Silvestre—comprising the Biosphere and Hydrosphere installations) at Espacio Abierto Quinta de los Molinos. Some of the pieces from Senescencia were also used in those projects and have been loaned by Espacio Abierto to Matadero for this installation.