• The exhibition will be open for two weeks outside the Reina Sofía Museum.
• 30 artists from 30 countries have transformed scientific evidence into visual narratives, which have also been compiled into an illustrated book and a digital campaign
• This is a European project co-funded by the EU bringing together science, public health and public engagement to curb antimicrobial resistance

Today, on International Museum Day, Madrid hosted the opening of the open-air exhibition “Sketching Antimicrobial Resistance: Thirty Stories, One Health”, a unique European initiative that transforms scientific evidence into visual narratives to highlight a threat that is already jeopardising modern medicine. Through 30 illustrations created by artists from 30 countries, the exhibition brings an urgent message to the public space: if we do not act, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines will cease to work with the effectiveness we take for granted today.

The exhibition brings together illustrations by artists from 30 European countries – the 27 EU Member States, plus Norway, Iceland and Ukraine – with the aim of bringing complex public health concepts closer to the public through a One Health approach (human health, animal health and the environment). Each piece is accompanied by a key message co-created with the support of experts in various fields such as human, animal and environmental health, communication and psychology, and structured around three themes: what antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is, why it matters and what we can do.

The illustrators were selected on the basis of talent, reputation and impact; they are well-known in their own countries and, in many cases, have an international profile. Furthermore, given the communicative nature of the initiative, artists with the ability to amplify the project’s reach on social media have been involved, thereby strengthening the project’s impact across the various participating countries. The Spanish artist is Óscar Alonso (72 kilos), a renowned Spanish illustrator who brings his unique vision on how to transform science into art to make antimicrobial resistance more understandable to the general public.

“To represent one of the simplest and most effective ways of preventing antimicrobial resistance, I have drawn my six-year-old son, Luca, washing his hands. And I like to think that, in doing so, I have also drawn seven billion people washing their hands,” 72 kilos.

This travelling exhibition opened at the end of January in Vienna and has since been on display in Warsaw, Brussels, Lyon and Rome, before arriving in Madrid. Following its run in the Spanish capital, it is scheduled to be on display in Lisbon and Reykjavík over the coming months. In Madrid, it will be open to the public for two weeks in Plaza Juan Goytisolo, next to the Reina Sofía National Art Museum. The opening ceremony was attended by the Secretary of State for Health, Javier Padilla; the Director of the AEMPS, María Jesús Lamas; the spokesperson for the European Commission Representation in Spain, María Canal; the illustrator 72 kilos; and the coordinator of the Spanish National Action Plan against Antibiotic Resistance, Antonio López, amongst others.

A global campaign: social media, multilingual website and illustrated book

The initiative is not just an exhibition: it forms part of a two-pronged campaign, both online and offline. The digital campaign was launched in November 2025, in the frame of the European Antibiotic Awareness Week, with the hashtag #SketchingAntimicrobialResistance and dissemination on social media, leveraging the multiplier effect of the illustrators themselves and their communities.

In addition, the project features a multilingual website that brings together illustrations and messages available in multiple languages, as well as an illustrated book showcasing the original works of the 30 artists as a resource for education and awareness-raising.

AMR is not just a clinical challenge; it is linked to how medicines are used, how infections are prevented and how the environment is cared for, which is why it is now considered a growing threat capable of undermining modern medicine. In fact, in the European Union it is associated with more than 33,000 deaths annually and an estimated social cost of €1.5 billion.

EU-JAMRAI 2 is a large-scale European initiative bringing together institutions and experts from 30 countries to curb antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and strengthen the prevention of and response to healthcare-associated infections, with the aim of improving European coordination under the One Health approach. The Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) is leading Spain’s participation in this project. EU-JAMRAI 2 is co-funded by the EU4Health programme and the participating partners, with a total budget of €62.5 million, including €50 million contributed by the European Commission, and involves more than 120 institutions from 30 countries.

Gallery of pictures