Visiting Matadero
Along the banks of the Manzanares river, Matadero represents one of the most successful urban transformations in Spain. These industrial brick sheds once served as the central slaughterhouse and livestock market for Madrid in the early 20th century. It is difficult to detect that history today in this expansive complex that feels entirely dedicated to the arts. Functioning like a village within the city, each pavilion focuses on a specific creative discipline. Since 2006, exhibitions, theater, music, film, and festivals have found a home in this contemporary creation center.
Art and creation in every form
The neo-Mudéjar architecture of the buildings gives Matadero a distinct character. The site is massive, divided into several hangars known locally as naves, creating a space where something is always happening. Design takes center stage at the Central de Diseño (Design Center), while literature is the focus at Casa del Lector (House of the Reader). The Naves del Español en Matadero host a range of visual and performing arts. You will find the only theater in the country dedicated to documentary film at Cineteca, while Nave 16 serves as an artist residency space where local and international creators collaborate. This is also where the Centre d'Expériences Immersives (Center for Immersive Experiences), or MAD, uses virtual reality and holograms to showcase digital art. Far from its original function, Nave 0 now serves as an experimental studio, and the outdoor courtyards host workshops and public activities throughout the year. Concerts and festivals round out a constantly changing schedule, and you can grab a bite at the two on-site restaurants. Matadero remains as varied and unconventional as the artists it supports.
On May 15th, a day of festivities in Madrid for San Isidro, the city's patron saint, we were out for a walk in the southern area of the Spanish capital's center.
We were with friends who live here, and they led us to Matadero, a large cultural center set up in former slaughterhouses along the river.
Don't let your preconceptions fool you, there is nothing bloody or morbid about the place. On the contrary, it looks more like an old convent with several buildings, lots of green space, and it is full of life and activities. It was a public holiday, and it was packed with people, clearly families and locals from Madrid and very few tourists. There were free concerts playing. You can find reading rooms, screening rooms, spaces for meeting artists and contemporary art exhibitions, creative workshops, tropical greenhouses...
In short, a great surprise that I recommend if you want to get off the beaten path and experience the contemporary cultural life of Madrid.