Iconic Madrid. A storybook city

From 15 April to 3 May, the Espacio Cultural Serrería Belga is putting on an exhibition of illustrations by various artists portraying emblematic symbols of Madrid and some of its most relevant characters, such as Gloria Fuertes, María Malasaña, the Plaza Mayor, the Cuesta de Moyano, or the city’s famous hearty stew, known as cocido madrileño.

In this groundbreaking exhibition, which is part of the IlustraweekMadrid 2026 festival, artists are showcasing creations that craft a visual and auditory narrative to shine a spotlight on Madrid. The participating artists include professionals from the world of illustration, many of them specialised in drawings for children and young people, such as Lady Desidia, María Hesse, Adolfo Serra, Poliño Trapalleiro, Marina Hernández Ávila, Nuria Cuesta, Manuel Marsol, Jesús Gabán, Marta Ponce, Puño, Marta Chicote, Elena Hormiga and Albertoyos. The exhibition also features illustrated ceramic tableware designed by the artist Nuria Blanco.

During your visit, you can listen to a story specially created for this project and inspired by each of the pieces, written by Rubén Arribas, co-director of the magazine El Duende. The story is narrated by Claudio Serrano, a renowned dubbing actor who has lent his voice to numerous film and television characters, such as Ben Affleck or Christian Bale in the movie Batman.