Carabanchel, a neighbourhood full of art

The ISO industrial area has become a hub for young artists expressing their creativity in its numerous spaces and workshops. Carabanchel is now said to be the Soho of Madrid. This district which was once a working-class area on the outskirts of the city has become the centre of a large creative, bohemian movement that now boasts more than 130 artists spread around 40 studios, workshops and other creative spaces.

Not so long ago, printworks, dental cooperatives, textile manufacturers and factories that produced the small three-wheeler (or, isocarro) that was made by ISO all coexisted here. Fast-forward a few years and Carabanchel is now a bona fide artistic melting pot of young creators in search of an area on the outskirts of the city where they can develop their art.

You'll find up-and-coming artists that work with illustration, crafts, sculpture, photography, music, video-art or graphic art, as well as well-known creators such as José Luis Serzo, Miki Leal, Patricia Mateo and Laura Lío—some of whom have exhibited at the ARCOmadrid art fair—who only add to the artistic boom that this area is experiencing. Look out for them in the San Isidro neighbourhood, in the small brick building at No. 25 Avenida de Pedro Diez, where parts of the legendary isocarro used to be made. Art certainly abounds in this old property located in the most populated district in Madrid (with a census of 270,000 residents).

Some of these call their home Carabanchel 17: a building that resembles shipping containers stacked together at a port. This iconic colourful structure was designed by the studio ACM arquitectos after they won an architectural competition launched by Madrid City Council in 2009.

Vitality and innovation

The southern Madrid district oozes vitality and innovation. In recent years, Manolito Four-Eyes—the famous literary character created by Elvira Lindo which was brought from print to film—has helped to put Carabanchel on the map. 

The area has been earning points on Madrid’s cultural ranking thanks to the initiative of its artists who constantly push their creative capacity to the limits, producing a knock-on effect among their peers.

At Nave Oporto, located in the San Isidro neighbourhood, we can find artists such as Irma Álvarez-Laviada, Belén, FOD, Santiago Giralda, Miki Leal, Sonia Navarro, Manuel Saro and Miguel Ángel Tornero all working on site since 2013. The first floor of the building is home to Mala Fama Estudios and another group of artists, amongst them Carlos Aires.

Arte&Desmayo is a multidisciplinary hub where artists can rent the rehearsal space, casting room, private and public exhibition spaces, small concert hall and can even or host attend courses, presentations and meetings here. 

Next to Oporto metro

Drawn by the artistic activity at No. 25 Avenida de Pedro Diez, other creators, in addition to galleries and painting academies, have set up businesses nearby with more than 20 studios scattered around the neighbourhood. They can all be found close to the metro station Oporto, on streets such as Calle de Nicolás Morales (No. 38), Calle de Matilde Hernández (No. 36) and Avenida de Pedro Diez (No. 21).

The clout of these young artists is such that small restaurants, social centres, exhibition halls, music recording studios, etc. have come to the area. Their influence has also spread to Urgel metro station, close to Calle de Eugenia de Montijo and Avenida de Nuestra Señora de Fátima.

This is the case for La Fábrica D Arte, a mural painting academy located in a former textile factory at No. 4 Calle de la Codorniz in the Vista Alegre neighbourhood, Benveniste Contemporary Gallery in the San Isidro area, and the Arte Hélade art academy at No. 91 Avenida de Nuestra Señora de Fátima.

Carabanchel is also home to many rehearsal rooms for pop-rock groups, some well-known late-night entertainment establishments, as well as cafés and restaurants that cater for this community of musicians. La Fábrica de Patanel beer garden and Matilda Bar Butacada are just some of the spots that they frequent.

One of the latest places to open its doors is Hyper House, a new creative space on Madrid's emerging digital art scene. It serves as a meeting point and a place for debate that's open to collaboration on expanded and experimental artistic practices.

“Art/Banchel” annual programme

With so many artists concentrated in the district, the annual “Art/Banchel” initiative (a nod to the prestigious Art Basel fair in Switzerland) was introduced in 2017. Taking place in May, it features open doors activities so that local residents can see the artists' work. Visitors can enjoy exhibitions, talks, presentations, dance, performances, theatre, radio, etc.

La Chulapa de Carabanchel

At No. 7 Calle de Amalrico, there's a mural honouring the figure of a chulapa (a native Madrid woman in traditional dress) painted onto the Tercio and Terol community's former water tower. This impressive, large-scale artwork by Cuban artist resident in New York Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada depicts the face of a chulapa with a red carnation and a white scarf around her head. It was painted during the San Isidro festivities and has become a symbol of the neighbourhood that defends tradition.

Workshops and artist groups

See some of the area’s workshops and artist groups listed below:

• Ey!Studio (No. 19 Calle de Belmonte del Tajo, door 2-2)
• 35.000 Jóvenes (No. 36 Calle de Matilde Hernández, door 3-left)
• An Wei (Calle Urgel, 33)
• Arteaga Usted (No. 50 Calle de Mercedes Arteaga)
• Artendencia House Studio (No. 14 Calle de San Dámaso, ground floor)
• Casa Banchel (No. 26 Calle de Santiago Estévez)
• Casa Bola (Calle de la Época, 3-bis)
• El Grifo (No. 20 Calle de Vista Alegre, door 2-A)
• Espacio Vista (No. 20 Calle de Vista Alegre, door 3-A)
• Estudio 4.7 (No. 38-40 Calle de Nicolás Morales door 4-7)
• Estudio 10 (No. 38-40 Calle de Nicolás Morales door 1-10)
• Estudio Lisboa (No. 21 Avenida de Pedro Diez, door 3)
• Faro 12 Estudio (No. 21 Avenida de Pedro Diez, door 3, establishment 12)
• Fuentesal & Arenillas / Paloma de Alba (No. 36 Calle de Matilde Hernández, door right)
• Hyper House (No. 22 Calle Ramón Sainz)
• In June We Trust (No. 24 Calle Amistad, ground floor)
• Estudio José Luis Serzo (No. 21-bis Avenida de Pedro Diez, door 3-D)
• Juana González (No. 3 Calle de José Garrido, ground floor)
• La Latente (No. 21-bis Avenida de Pedro Diez, door 1-7)
• LabBrut Colectivo de Artistas (No. 1 Calle del Capitán de Oro)
• Mala Fama (No. 25 Avenida de Pedro Diez, door 1-right)
• Nave 6 (No. 38-40 Calle de Nicolás Morales, door 3-6)
• Nave Oporto (No. 25 Avenida de Pedro Diez, door 2-right)
• NavEstudio Laura Lio (No. 21 Calle del Tordo, door left)
• Paloma Gámez (No. 38-40 Calle de Nicolás Morales, door 4-8, loft 4)
• photoAlquimia (No. 21-bis Avenida de Pedro Diez, door 3)
• Puerta Cuatro (No. 38-40 Calle de Nicolás Morales, door 4-4)
• Totoki Guaraní (No. 21-bis Avenida de Pedro Diez, door 1-2)
• U Studio (No. 6 Calle de la Virgen de Belén, ground floor)
• Veta Galeria (No. 39 Calle de Antoñita Jiménez)
• Sabrina Amrani Gallery (No. 23 Calle de la Madera - in the Malasaña neighbourhood, her office is located at No. 52 Calle de Sallaberry in Carabanchel)