Thursday, October 4, 2012

El Matadero - Arts Center

Imagine the gigantic, dangerous, cold slaughterhouses of Chicago, the ones that you´ve read about in The Jungle by Upton Sinclair; then try to imagine an art gallery in the giant meat vats´ place, or a theater, or a music stage. In the south of Madrid proper, an old slaughterhouse (functional until 1996) has been turned into just that; a creative arts center  for concerts, exhibitions, and films, it is called El Matadero.

There are various spaces called ¨naves¨ or warehouses, many of which have 50 foot removable walls to make the space easily manageable for various different exhibitions and / or concerts. There is a ¨cineteca¨ whos walls are made of recycled rubber hoses, that harbors various theaters of different sizes. Other spaces in the Matadero are devoted to art & design, botany, and there is even a mini-community for musicians sponsored by Redbull.

The buildings are quite beautiful, boasting a strange mix of architectural styles such as Neo-Mudejar, which has arabic influences and is exclusive to Spain. Between all of the buildings are courtyards with cafes and it all next to Matadero Park and Arganzuela Park, which run along the Manzanares River.









There are constantly events being held at El Matadero, but if art and music isn´t your thing, you can just take a walk through the winding parks nearby!

(All photos are my own)

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