EL MATADERO: THE ANCIENT SLAUGHTERHOUSE OF MADRID BECAME A PLACE OF FREE ARTISTIC EXPRESSION
Historically, the Matadero was a collection of 48 buildings and over 165,000 square meters built along the Manzanarre River which served as the industrial slaughterhouse and livestock market of the city of Madrid during most of the 20th century. The ancient slaughterhouse is today a grandiose set of neo-Mudejar-style pavilions that has recently been converted into an area dedicated to contemporary art and culture.
Inside the Matadero enclosure are the “ships”, large buildings, examples of industrial archeology, dedicated to various cultural activities. You can range from contemporary art to music, from reading to experimental theater, from the center for the diffusion of design to documentary and experimental cinema. The largest of these exhibition spaces is Nave 16 (Ship 16), a multipurpose space of 4000 square meters that houses installations, exhibitions and performances, while recreational and sports activities are held in the open air in the Matadero Square and Main Street.
In addition to art exhibitions and performances, Matadero offers different spaces to sip a coffee, drink a beer or, why not, even eat a nice pizza. The wood oven and the scent that comes out of the Cantina del Matadero, right next to the film library, are a guarantee.
Information http://www.mataderomadrid.org/
Location
Paseo de la Chopera 14, Madrid Rio
Free admission
Hours: Tuesday – Friday 4pm – 9pm
Saturday, Sunday and holidays: 11am – 9pm
How to get to Matadero
Metro: Legazpi (Lines 3 and 6)
Bus: 6, 8, 18, 19, 45, 78, 148