Félix González-Torres: Sweet Revenge Arrives in Madrid May 2026

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid presents the year’s most significant exhibition: Sweet Revenge, a major retrospective of Cuban artist Félix González-Torres opening on May 27, 2026.

González-Torres, born in Guáimaro, Camagüey in 1957, is considered one of the most influential figures in twentieth-century conceptual art. His installations featuring candy, lightbulbs, and stacks of paper transformed everyday objects into profound meditations on love, loss, and resistance.

A Personal Sweet Revenge

The exhibition’s title is no accident. In 1990, González-Torres declared: “Returning to Madrid after twenty years, sweet revenge.” The phrase conceals a story of pain.

At age 13, young Félix arrived in Madrid with his sister, expecting to reunite with relatives. But the reunion never happened: both were placed in an orphanage. Months later, they managed to emigrate to Puerto Rico, where González-Torres would continue his artistic education before establishing himself in New York.

Three decades after his death, Madrid finally pays him the tribute he deserves with this retrospective curated by Alejandro Cesarco and Nancy Spector.

Art That Defied the Rules

González-Torres revolutionized contemporary art with works that invited viewers to actively participate. His most moving piece, “Untitled” (Portrait of Ross in L.A.), consists of a pile of candy with an “ideal weight” of 175 pounds—the weight of his partner Ross Laycock before he fell ill with AIDS.

Visitors can take candy from the work. The pile shrinks, as Ross was consumed by the disease. But it’s also replenished, symbolizing the possibility of renewal and the persistence of love.

Works Featured in the Exhibition

• Paper stacks — Photocopied sheets that visitors can take, questioning who truly owns art
• Light strings — Installations creating intimate, ephemeral atmospheres
• “Untitled” (Perfect Lovers) — Two identical synchronized clocks, destined to fall out of sync over time
• Billboards — Poetic images installed in public spaces

The Context of the AIDS Crisis

González-Torres’ work cannot be understood without the context of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and 90s. The artist lost Ross Laycock in 1991; he himself would die in Miami in 1996, at age 38.

But his art was never explicitly political. González-Torres preferred beauty as a weapon of resistance. His glowing lightbulbs and mountains of wrapped candies are acts of generosity and vulnerability in a world that marginalized affected communities.

“The only thing permanent is change” — Félix González-Torres

A Cuban in the World

Though he developed his career primarily in New York, González-Torres never forgot his roots. He was born in Guáimaro, a small city in Camagüey province, and his experience as an emigrant profoundly shaped his artistic vision.

The exhibition at the Reina Sofía represents not only recognition for the artist but also for the Cuban cultural legacy in global contemporary art. González-Torres joins figures like Wifredo Lam and Ana Mendieta in the pantheon of Cuban artists who transformed the international art landscape.

Practical Information

Sweet Revenge: Félix González-Torres

• Location: Reina Sofía Museum, Madrid
• Dates: May 27 – October 12, 2026
• Curators: Alejandro Cesarco and Nancy Spector
• Admission: Check the museum website

The exhibition coincides with the reorganization of the fourth floor of the Sabatini building, dedicated to contemporary art from 1975 to today, making this season a historic moment for the Spanish museum.

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Félix González-Torres proved that the most powerful art doesn’t need to be monumental. Sometimes, two synchronized clocks or a handful of candy is enough to tell a story of eternal love.