Madrid ART Week! Our visit to the Art Fairs + Fortuny in Prado Museum

Young admirer in Urvanity , Swinton Art gallery

This week is one of my favorite weeks of the year and as every year I can't help but write a post about Art Week in Madrid.


Starting with ArcoMadrid, the great event of art in IFEMA where this year's controversy has again been served by the Catalan theme. I was fortunate to have a guided tour on the same opening day thanks to Sushita and Solan de Cabras. I loved the work of the gallery Pilar Serra that represents the photographer Jose Maria Ballester with a work on Goya and the landscapes of his paintings.

Jose Maria Ballester photography work on famous Goya:  Fusilamientos 3 de mayo 

 Travesia Cuatro had amazing art pieces and I went to visit as a nephew of mine also works there. Also the good thing about this year is that each gallery offered artwork for less than €5,000 to encourage consumption and there were many interesting options. The only bad thing about ArcoMadrid is that it's so big, you get a little lost.

Travesia Cuatro Stand

I was also able to attend the inauguration on Tuesday of Just Mad in a central space in Nuñez de Balboa. I fell in love with the clouds of Isabel Alonso Vega from the Gallery White Noise in Rome and the Portuguese galleries that have visited the Fair.

Isabel Alonso Vega. Clouds

Finally today I attended Urvanity at COAM, a new exhibition of new contemporary art, Okuda's work in the gallery Ink and Movement and I also discovered the Swinton Gallery in Madrid.

Truck Art Project was also there with video and pictures of trucks.

Truck Art Project stand

Unfortunately I stayed with the desire to go to ArtMadrid where I've always seen cool things but I had tickets for Fortuny at the Prado Museum, wonderful exhibition, really recommend it and there's no time for everything you want.

Fortuny's sons in Prado Museum

CASA DECOR opening!

Casa Decor, the great annual decoration event in Spain has opened its doors yesterday in Francisco de Rojas number 2 until March, 25th.

HALL by EleRoom 62 with painting from Pictoclub (Art on-line gallery)

This year they celebrate 53 years of this original concept where they choose a singular building in Madrid and during a month, the best Spanish decorators show their proposals for all rooms of the house.


 I have loved it as usual , my favourite room was decorated by Nuria Alia and reminded me fondly to LA or Miami.

Imagine waking up in the cheerful room by Nuria Alia

I was also impressed by several of the paintings on display and learned that this year they have made a special emphasis on art because of ArcoMadrid who will be presented next 21 of February.

bath with a view

I recommend that you take a look at Pictoclub paintings in various rooms of the house, such as the Lady of the Ermine in the Hall of Ele Room 62 or in Marta Zarzalejos Chimney room.

Elegant chimney with wines and Pictoclub painting

Pictoclub is an on-line art gallery that has very different works characterized by the fact that the authors do not sign the works and therefore the cost is reduced

After visiting the house, you can also enjoy the gastronomic offer of the chef de la Cabra named Javier Aranda, who has opened a temporary restaurant inside.

September in Madrid, Some Good Tips!

September is here. Are we back to routine? Not necessarily...

Holidays may be over but there are many things to do to extend holiday feeling. Madrid has lots to offer and the weather is still very good. I propose the following activities for the rentrée:

The Best Week for Art in Madrid

Last week has been by far one of my favorite weeks of the year! Art surrounded the city with such an interesting proposal of Art fairs: ARCOmadrid16, Art Madrid and Just Mad.

Madrid in Art, ARCO and More!

Juan Genovés a sure bet!

Awesome! These days Madrid is the place to enjoy contemporary art. On Wednesday, ARCO, the Spanish reference art fair for collectors, gallery owners and artists has been inaugurated. ARCO is always interesting.

Colección Abelló: Masterpieces of a Spanish Collector

One of the most important Spanish art collections is currently exhibited in the Ayuntamiento de Madrid; it is a privilege to have access to this wonderful exhibition. The Madrid City town hall, through the project ‘Mecenazgo al servicio del arte’, gives Madrid citicens access to some of the most prestigious private art collections – in this case provided by Abelló family: La Colección Abelló.

Lalabeyou - Buy or Create your Own Jewelry!

I made a nice discovery while walking the other day through Belen Street, doing some window shopping. At first, I was amazed to see many drawings displayed with original jewelry. I was not sure whether it was a shop or a gallery. A smiley lady inside informed me it was both, and also a jewel atelier: Contemporary Jewelry Galery Lalabeyou!

Our trip to La Tabacalera, discovering urban street art!

 Last Thursday 10th of July, we had the chance to meet some of our followers while discovering the inside urban art world of La Tabacalera. Thanks to Maddie, Connor, Eeron, Yonathan and many others for joining us, it was a great pleasure meeting you! Really sorry for the rest of followers that could not join us but places were limited…

El Huerto de Lucas, a new ecogastrocultural market!

I am so happy with this new eco trend going on in Madrid! Last Sunday I went to El Huerto de Lucas, in San Lucas 13, a covered market with a nice restaurant in the middle that is worth a visit, especially as walking down the Street you don’t seem to realize that there is a huge space of 450 square meters inside that can be considered as an eco-paradise! Actually their motto is ‘the first medicine is food’!

Madrid Urban Art Walk with Cultcards and My Little Madrid

FULLY BOOKED! no more places left!

This summer we have decided to innovate by offering our dear followers the opportunity to take part in our activities. This is our first activity: Urban Art Walk, Madrid, an event organised together with Cultcards.

Find Nature in the Middle of Madrid - El Olivar de Castillejo

Path towards the house surrounded by olive trees

Madrid has it! incredible surprises when you least expect it. Wandering randomly throuhg Chamartin district,  I discovered an amazing place: Fundación Olivar de Castillejo. A true olive grove with more than 100 olive trees in a hectare of land, located in the middle, but really in the hub of town. Between streets Alberto Alcocer and Enri Dunant with entrance through Menendez Pidal 11. Amazing! A smaill uninviting door without signs or indications, go through it and get literally teletransported into the deep countryside, one of those Andalusian "ventas" dotted with olive trees, flowerbeds and small paths ....

La Central - Much More than a Bookstore

We are big fans of the fantastic bookstore La Central in Callao! We consider it much more than a bookstore for many reasons. Firstly, they have more than 80 000 book references in several languages and many different sections that avoid the typical collection of best sellers you find elsewhere. It is a library within a 19^th century palace. If you feel hungry or want to take a rest, you can also try their great “Bistro” with very tasty food options for breakfast, lunch or tea time. You can even stay for drinks at night in their bar, "el Garito" , where many events and book presentations take place.

Millesime - Millweek My Favorite Gastronomic Event in Madrid

Millesime is a yearly appointment in Madrid, and luckily we haven’t missed it. A great gastronomic experience where you get the chance to taste some of the greatest creations of renown Spanish and international chefs.

Birkin or Kelly? difficult choice, get the answer at Palacio de Cibeles

Kelly or Birkin? if you know what I am talking about you cannot miss the exhibition Hermès - Essence of Leather  (until October 13) at the Glass Gallery of the Cibeles Palace.
A magnificent example of what Hermès represents through its own history and good work. It all started with saddlery for horses more than one hundred and seventy-six years ago. Today, however, Hermès has evolved to represent the essence of ultimate luxury.

Re-discovering the Prado Museum in August - Captive Beauty

As someone once said (Francisco Silvela in the XIX century) Madrid in August, without family and with money is "Baden-Baden". I would add that even without much money it is as attractive and relaxing as Baden-Baden used to be. This August I have been re-discovering the Prado Museum and I am enthusiastic about it. First: the exhibition "Captive Beauty: Fran Angelico to Fortuny", extraordinary small format works not seen on regular display, Second: the wonderful venue and display, fresh and quiet, Third: the price, free for all after 17:00h. I cannot imagine a better plan for a hot August afternoon, surrounded by beauty...

YellowKorner- Accesible Contemporary Art

One of the good things about traveling is to discover new concepts never-before-seen in Madrid. In one of my last trips to Paris I discovered a photography shop called YellowKorner and inmediately thought: why don’t we have a shop like this in Madrid?

They read my thoughts. Walking through Salamanca District, I got a nice surprise. Yellow Korner just opened a shop in Madrid! Sigue leyendo, en español más abajo

Casa Decor 2013 - A Yearly Appointment (we cannot miss)

Another year Casa Decor opens its doors in Madrid!! This time more challenging than ever. Designers need to transform a very 60's circular shaped office building, former british embassy, into residential spaces. Conceived as a diplomatic complex, the building is self-contained with its own system of security, electrical and water systems. And a very difficult layout. A real challenge and an extraordinary outcome! worth the visit!

Dalí Exhibition at Reina Sofia Museum

I have recently visited Reina Sofia for Dalí’s exhibition: All of the poetic suggestions and all of the plastic possibilities and gladly noticed that even if lots of people had had my same idea, the queue went very fast. And when I got to pay I had my first good news of the day; I got a free entrance because on Sundays, from 3 pm, no one has to pay. This is a good tip, isn’t it? Sigue leyendo, en español más abajo

Hotel One Shot 23 - sophisticated and comfy

This has been my last discovery: hotel One Shot 23 at calle Prado 23. I was wandering around calle Prado - a street I highly recommend, full of surprises - and without knowing I stepped into a hiper-cosmopolitan space that happened to be the reception of a hotel: One Shot 23. Brand new! En español abajo sigue leyendo.

ART Week End in Madrid

One of my favourite week ends of the year was last one!! Madrid suddenly turns into a wonderful melting pot for artists, art collectors, galleries and keen on art! we visited ARCO and JustMAD and had a wonderful time!