Urban Art in Madrid
Are you interested in discovering Madrid’s urban art? Street artists have been leaving their mark in the streets of the city and they really do gain the admiration of those who look at their work. Many of the proposals of these young creators, developed in unusual spaces, have remained forever in the group imaginary. There are now many people who go in search of these paintings and graffiti with an urban and non-conformist theme, which are now all the rage and sometimes spring up without any pretension of becoming permanent.
Nowadays, many of the expressions of street art in Madrid are the product of festivals or initiatives that allow young people to develop their creativity in a legal way. The themes dealt with in urban (and “rebellious”) art include the environment, migration, politics, gender violence, multiculturalism and other issues of a contemporary social nature.
These are some of the landmarks and proposals that we offer so that you can discover unique urban art of Madrid:
Those interested in graffiti, murals, templates, stickers, photography and urban facilities, whether it may be crochet or gardening, have an activity in Madrid that will not leave them feeling indifferent. It is the “Cool Tour Spain”, a route that takes us to the origins of the graffiti movement and shows us how the so-called street art has developed.
Those who sign up for the Cool Tour Spain will visit the Lavapiés neighbourhood, one of the most active (and colourful) of the underground scene, and discover the artistic walls of La Tabacalera (currently closed for refurbishment), one of the most alternative spaces in Madrid, and many of the decorated façades in the neighbourhood. Of course, they will find out about Muelle, the first graffiti artist in Madrid, who obtained so much attention in the 1980s.
The urban legend says that the police asked for autographs from the flawed artist, who died before he reached the age of 30. Today, his heirs decorate the façades and awnings of and his works are respected much more, as they now form part of the history of art of the 21st century. So as not to forget this pioneering artist, a street in Latina has been given his name since 2017. If you want to sign up for this route, just visit the website and register (visits are in Spanish, French and English).
It is also worth mentioning the Madrid Street Art Project (MSAP) initiative, founded by Guillermo de la Madrid and Diana Prieto, which is devoted to creating, organising, producing and communicating projects and activities related to street art. The objective is to spread and support art and its creators in public spaces, showcase it and bring it closer to all audiences.
It is possibly the most important urban art festival in Madrid. Many commercial establishments from Lavapiés participate in it, offering their façades and shop windows for creation, along with more than 50 artists and groups. The last ones to participate in this initiative were Ramón Amorós, Zon, Lané Leal and Julio Cubillos, Alf Sunrisa, Yolanda Gómez Urrea, Telenolibre, Jota Visual, Terrario, Digo Diego, etc.
Participation in this initiative often also includes the Boa Mistura group from Madrid, which is well known for works like Barley Market with colours that speak of optimism; the CEA(R) centre(Spanish Refugee Aid Commission) with its Home/Future, and work for Ecoalf in Calle Alonso Martínez; or the illustrator, Mauro Entrialgo, who drew some monsters feeding off tourist rental apartments in one of his interventions. CALLE Lavapiés now forms part of the hallmarks of the neighbourhood.
La Tabacalera is an alternative space where exhibitions, concerts and talks open to the public are held. On its façade, you can see graffiti with critical and humorous messages that are renewed each year and are a true reflection of the urban artistic tendencies.
Muros Tabacalera is a project that sets out to promote street art and in each edition, the walls of the outer perimeter of La Tabacalera courtyard are redecorated with new proposals. In the third and last edition, more than 25 artists participated. It is a Madrid Street Art Project for the Ministry of Culture.
It is the only fair in Spain devoted to new contemporary art, a term that brings together the expressions that arose from urban art, such as post-graffiti, surrealist pop or the new pop art.
It is a proposal that is held at the end of February or beginning of March, at the Official Association of Architects of Madrid, coinciding with the ARCO Madrid fair. This emerging art fair attracts such emblematic galleries as the StolenSpace Gallery from London, the Wunderkammern from Italy, RuArts from Russia or My Name’s Lolita Art, Ysto/Giner or SC Gallery from Spain.
The project arose in Intermediæ (Matadero) and seeks to improve the urban landscape of de Tetuán and, consequently, it has brought interesting artistic interventions to its architectural and urban heritage.
From impressive murals, photographs that bring back memories of the neighbourhood and its residents or an urban allotment.
It is a cultural, open and free cultural marathon, which aims to celebrate urban art in Madrid. One Sunday a year, more than 200 artistic interventions are carried out. It is usually held in spring and there are photography competitions, free workshops and other parallel activities.
It is an arts, experimentation and creativity centre that takes over disused spaces for cultural purposes. It opened its doors in 2013 as a self-run centre and now, as a museum, it promotes disciplines, such as urban art, video-art, performance, parkour or sound art. It is located in the annexe of the former Mediodía station in Atocha and regularly schedules exhibitions, workshops and conference cycles, as well as offering guided visits for all ages.
In 2018, La Neomudéjar opened a new venue, the City of Art. Zapadores Museum which hosts all types of artists, gallerists, associations, curators and museums and creates a space for reflection and a commitment to the new voices of art.
Here, the Cool Tour Spain group organises interesting urban art workshops. They are normally given by El Rey de la Ruina, one of the most famous artists in the city. Participants learn about the diverse graffiti techniques: templates, shading, filling, etc.
These are just some of the suggestions to discover urban art in Madrid, but there are more. So, if you are interested in “street art”, bring out your graffiti and artistic vein and sign up for it.
The artist Okuda San Miguel, along with his representation agency, Ink and Movement, are behind the new Factory of Dreams space for the creation, management and dissemination of contemporary art. Furthermore, the San Fermín Municipal Library displays painted murals by the graffiti artist from Cantabria, which depict the history of the building and how this space has come about in the neighbourhood. The most recent one from August 2022, tells the story of the neighbourhood’s residents (in feminist undertones).
Fuenlabrada Town Hall is committed to art and culture and proof of this are the many murals that have filled its streets since 2020. Murals scattered over the walls of Madrid’s city centre, which have included the works of reputed graffiti artists, such as Suso33, Okuda or El niño de las pinturas. Fuenlabrada Museum of Urban Art (CEART) also fosters exhibition spaces to mix figurative arts with everyday urban elements from Fuenlabrada.
Santo Domingo Metro Station (Line 2) is home to two murals which show the diversity and Caribbean iconography of the Dominican Republic. Works full of colour and movement, which revolve around merengue, music, dance, the sea and the crops of the Dominican country. The murals on display are Acordes de historia, Dominican Republic by Gerson Rodríguez and Taína Mariel Almodóvar; and Mar de vida, de sonrisas, de esperanza y alegres olas by Jeannette Alfau and Luis Alejandro Núñez.
This new project is a municipal initiative that seeks to recover and transform the Villaverde area through culture. It boasts eight murals and four sculptures, in collaboration with the Design Institute. It is a project inspired by the Wynwood neighbourhood in Miami, which managed to transform its urban space thanks to the art of many urban artists.
The Carabanchel neighbourhood has become the centre of a large creative and bohemian movement that now boasts more than 130 artists in around 40 studios, workshops and creative spaces. On the tower of the former water deposit from the Tercio and Terol colony, in Calle Amalrico, there is a mural devoted to the figure of La Chulapa, work of the Cuban artist resident in New York, Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada.
The question of graffiti
Do you know where this surprising graffiti can be found? It is not easy to find... We‘ll give you a clue.. It is between the Teatro de La Abadía and the Teatros del Canal... Take a stroll around the Arapiles neighbourhood and you will come across it...
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