Museo de las Ilusiones de Madrid

A permanent collection exhibition space on Calle del Doctor Cortezo, 8, in Madrid, devoted to optical illusions and to how the brain interprets what the eye captures. Its installations invite visitors to test these perceptions with their own bodies.

The Museo de las Ilusiones de Madrid is a permanent collection exhibition space on Calle del Doctor Cortezo. Its concept revolves around optical illusions and the way vision, perception and the brain construct what we believe we see. The rooms are designed to disconcert visitors and put their certainties about size and proportion to the test.

Among the installations the museum itself highlights are a head that appears to be served on a plate, an oversized chair and an illusion of shrinking in which a person appears reduced in size. Each scene uses a different visual trick, and visitors see for themselves, from inside the scene, how the reading of the image changes depending on the position from which it is viewed.

The visit is suited to anyone who wants to experience first-hand how the eye can be deceived. The museum encourages visitors to bring a camera, as the installations offer numerous opportunities for fun photographs that capture the optical effects. It is a route in which each visitor's participation forms part of the exhibition itself.