The Foral Network of Museums and Artium Museoa are joining International Museum Day with a special program that will fill the territory with guided tours, workshops, poetry, dance, historical reenactments, and new exhibitions between May 16 and May 19.
This year's edition also carries special symbolism: it marks the 80th anniversary of ICOM, the International Council of Museums, the driving force behind this global celebration. The theme chosen for 2026 is “Museums uniting a divided world,” a reflection on the role of these spaces as places of encounter, dialogue, and cultural connection.
“"Museums are spaces capable of bringing diverse realities closer, promoting understanding, and strengthening bonds between people through culture."
In Álava, the program will be distributed among different museums and cultural spaces, with proposals for a wide variety of audiences. Activities kick off on May 16 at the Álava Natural Sciences Museum with a guided tour of the VIT Herbarium, aimed at individuals over 16 years old.
On the same day, the Álava Museum of Fine Arts will blend literature and art with a poetry recital as part of the Poetas en Mayo festival. The proposal will bring poetry directly into the museum halls, in front of the exhibited works.
One of the most striking events will take place on May 17 at the Arkaia archaeological site. There, a historical reenactment of daily life in ancient Rome will be held. The public will discover how a Roman patrician family lived, from clothing to hygiene and personal care, in an educational activity with historical rigor.
International Museum Day, on May 18, will be marked by the inauguration of a new exhibition at the Álava Museum of Fine Arts. The exhibition, titled “Fantasía y razón. Estampas de Goya en la colección del Museo de Bellas Artes de Álava,” will bring together the four great graphic series by the Aragonese artist Goya: Caprichos, Desastres de la guerra, Tauromaquia, and Disparates.
The exhibition will open to the public on May 19 and offers a look at themes such as violence, war, and injustice through one of the most influential graphic works in art history.
Artium Museoa also joins this program, celebrating International Museum Day during the weekend of May 16 and 17 with free admission and open activities for all audiences. One of the main focuses will be the open workshops “Hanging Gardens.” Here, participants will create a large collective vertical garden with plants, flowers, birds, and insects inspired by the museum's lorategi.
