Let me bring you to 5 of my favorite alternative art institutions in town.
“Madrid is a city of improvisation; living on the spur of the moment is part of our culture and this makes life more open and full of surprises”
This center of young art and culture opened the same year as we did. It curates the best of up-and-coming artists from Spain and the world, including B Wurtz . La Casa Encendida help madrilians by cultivating contemporary-art culture.
I´m also fascinating by spooky spots “legend has it that it´s haunted” alluding to the furor of 1990 when voice recordings of a ghost captivated TV audiences. Despite being proven a hoax, folklore has sustained the building´s scary status.
Located in Buen Retiro Park, this exquisite 1887 structure is now managed by the Reina Sofia Museum and exhibits bold installations. I love meandering through the park´s gardens only to stumble upon two former palaces showcasing modern art. The second, a short walk away, is the Velazquez Palace, where you can admire temporary exhibits from our century.
You´ll find this foundation in Barrio de Salamanca district, slightly apart from the city´s typical art route, it is dedicated to art, graphic design and furniture. Opened in 1955 by a banker now occupies a key niche between the bigger galleries.
Off all the commissions completed by Francisco de Goya in situ, this was one of the most significant. The ceiling frescoes are perfectly preserved inside a diminutive 2000 YO chapel near Madrid River. To see this gem where it was created is infinitely more powerful than viewing a painting hung in a museum.
