"Madrid Atlántico" Book Documents Canarian Art in Madrid
The Canary Islands' Culture Department will launch "Madrid Atlántico," a new book coordinated by artist Alexis W. documenting the Canarian art scene in Madrid during the early 2000s, this Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Santa Cruz's Contemporary Art Room.
The Canary Islands' Culture Department is launching a new book, "Madrid Atlántico," this Friday at 6:30 p.m. This collection highlights the Canarian art scene that developed in Madrid during the early 2000s, without trying to rewrite history.
Artist Alexis W. coordinated the book, which will be unveiled at the Contemporary Art Room (SAC), located by Santa Cruz's La Granja park. The launch event will include the Canary Islands' Deputy Minister of Culture, Horacio Umpiérrez, and Javier Sicilia, one of the artists from that period.
"Madrid Atlántico" looks back at a time when Madrid brought together Canarian artists, their creative hubs, and institutions from the Canary Islands. It tells this story using portraits, personal accounts, documents, and never-before-seen images.
In the early 2000s, many artists from the Canary Islands moved to Madrid, seeking new ways to showcase their work. Madrid became home to their studios, workshops, and workspaces, effectively extending the cultural reach of the Atlantic islands. Important institutions also supported this artistic surge. Examples include the Canary Islands' regional radio and TV setting up a Madrid office, and the 2009 opening of Espacio Canarias, a venue dedicated to promoting Canarian culture in the capital.
During this period, artist Alexis W. spent two years turning the counter of a Madrid bar, the Eagle Bar, into a makeshift photo studio. He photographed nearly 800 people there, including 154 individuals connected to Canarian culture – artists, curators, journalists, writers, gallerists, painters, sculptors, musicians, poets, and cultural managers, to name a few. This community, made up of people and places that naturally connected, became a significant symbol of Canarian creative identity in Madrid.
"Madrid Atlántico" now offers a structured look back at this historical period. It reconstructs how an important part of contemporary Canarian art grew outside the islands, specifically in Madrid, thanks to the studios and gathering spots created by both artists and institutions.
The book is built around Alexis W.'s Madrid portraits and features contributions from writers such as Alicia R. Mederos, Luis Francisco Pérez, Leandro Betancor Fajardo, Javier Sicilia, Santiago Palenzuela, Dácil Granados, Omar-Pascual Castillo, and Marcos Rivero Mentado. It also includes images documenting events, exhibitions, flyers, and other materials from that vibrant cultural scene.