Isabel Muñoz brings 'The Stones of Heaven' to the Royal Collections Gallery, her look at Philip II and El Escorial

2026/06/02

The Royal Collections Gallery is hosting, from June 4th , The Stones of Heaven , the new project by Isabel Muñoz, National Photography Prize winner, within the Official Section of PHotoESPAÑA 2026. The exhibition, which opens on June 3rd and can be visited until September 6th, is the result of a sensitive exploration of the territory and a passionate investigation into the figure of Philip II and the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial.

The project is part of Cuadernos de campo (Field Notebooks), a three-year program promoted by Patrimonio Nacional (National Heritage), ACCIONA, and PHotoESPAÑA that brings renowned Spanish photographers into dialogue with the natural spaces of the Royal Sites, with the aim of raising awareness about the importance of preserving the landscape and cultural heritage. In this third edition, Isabel Muñoz focuses her gaze on the monastery and surrounding forest of La Herrería, exploring the vision of Philip II, who conceived El Escorial as an architecture inscribed within a larger symbolic order, connected to the Temple of Jerusalem and the idea of cosmic harmony.

Through photography, objects, video, and installation, Muñoz constructs an experience that transcends the still image, opening itself to a more telluric and sensory perception. His project addresses stone as a threshold between the time of the earth, the human desire for transcendence, and our capacity to imagine and create meaning from the elemental materials that nature offers. The exhibition also includes an immersive audiovisual piece, an outdoor intervention, and a publication.

The full program, schedules and updated information can be found on the official PHotoESPAÑA website.