Street Art or Picasso? Autumn Madrid offers art in all its forms
With the end of summer we usually look forward to the coming Indian summer, when the sun is not so warm, but still somehow more pleasant. Its rays are softer, kinder and evoke a feeling of comfort and nostalgia. But this year, it seems that Indian summer is either taking its time or not coming at all. We need to recharge our batteries before the cold winter, after all, and so it looks like we'll have to go further south for some much-needed rays. And there are few places better suited to autumnal exploration than Madrid, Spain. The onslaught of tourists there is slowly subsiding, but the local temperatures hovering around twenty-five degrees at this time of year are absolutely ideal for those who can't stand the extreme heat. Most importantly, however, Madrid is never 'out of season', making it the perfect place to spend your autumn holidays.
The city itself certainly needs no introduction, as we have visited it together several times. However, that doesn't mean there's nothing left to discover. The opposite is true! There is still so much we are missing. This time, we'll focus on Madrid with a touch of fine art in a whole new light.
The Golden Triangle
Our art journey in Madrid should definitely start at one of the three museums that together form the so-called Golden Triangle of Art. These are the Museo del Prado, the Museo Reina Sofía and the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. Each of these museums offers real unique 'must see' works of world art and each is well worth a visit. The Prado houses over six thousand paintings representing not only Spanish greats. Here you will find Velázquez's famous Las Meninas, Goya's naked and clothed Maya, but also Rubens' Three Graces or Hieronymus Bosch's breathtaking and incomprehensible Garden of Earthly Delights.
In the Museum of Queen Sofia, you will find more modern, twentieth-century works. The most famous exhibit here is undoubtedly Pablo Picasso's Guernica, a cubist take on suffering in the city of the same name during the Spanish Civil War. The painting is also accompanied by works by Salvador Dali, Joan Miró and Francis Bacon. The latter museum was originally the private collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza family, reflecting the personal tastes of the individual collectors who put together a unique collection of works by Durer, Rembrandt, Renoir and Gauguin. But if you don't want to spend your sunny days cooped up inside but still crave art, we have an easy solution for you.
Moratalaz or Muraltalaz?
In the southeast of Madrid, in the Moratalaz neighbourhood, concrete walls have been transformed into a living open-air gallery. Little Red Riding Hood, an owl, a bear and a scientist in a white coat all tell stories about technology, ecology and human relations from the facades of schools, sports grounds and cultural buildings.
The Muraltalaz project, named with a pun combining the name of the district with the term mural, has given rise to nineteen large-scale works by renowned muralists from around the world. It is not only a visual experience, but also a challenge to think. The artist Gonzalo Martín, aka Taquen, for example, shows how the blue light of displays can isolate us from reality, and the French Kalouf painted a majestic howler as a symbol of nature conservation.
Each painting has its own poetics: sometimes it takes us back to childhood memories, sometimes to the joy of a new scientific discovery. The neighbourhood's sporting past is recalled by retro Olympic motifs, and the musical world by the renowned Madrid muralist Sfhir, whose work was awarded the title of Best Mural in the World 2023. Moreover, the project is still ongoing, so the unique gallery is not only expanding, but more importantly telling new stories and providing food for thought.
Street art tours
But Madrid doesn't just offer street art in the aforementioned neighbourhoods! As in other cities, street art works are created, modified, replaced by new ones or disappear altogether. It's therefore hard to send you to some of the most successful ones, as they may not be there by the time you go. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. On the contrary!
In Madrid, you'll not only find guides to the famous museums we mentioned a moment ago, but also to the current most successful murals. Either on foot or on bicycles, the guides from Cooltourspain will take you to the various locations, where they will give you the background of the creation of each work, their message and may even know some interesting stories about the artists themselves.
Madrid's street art and graffiti workshops are a bit of a next level, where you will be able to express yourself artistically. But beware! You need to follow the instructions of the guides, who know very well which walls you can and cannot decorate. You can either try tagging "by hand" or through a stencil. It depends on how creative you are feeling at the moment.
Art for all and art for all
In short, Madrid is a place where the art of yesteryear and the art of today shake hands and where one simply cannot be without the other. But whether you choose to admire the high art in the museums or the murals on the high walls in the Moratalaz district, one thing is certain. You'll get hungry. And in such a moment, you'll appreciate the terraces of local restaurants and tapas bars, where you can discuss what you've seen over a good drink and a meal. And maybe a street artist will be sitting next to you, explaining his work. Or not. But you'll certainly have plenty of experiences.
And you know what's great? You can get to Madrid in three hours from Prague on a direct flight every day! Do you know where you're going yet? To the Prado? Or the Moratalaz district?
Photo: Oficina Española de Turismo ve Vídni
