Tenerife and Madrid Launch Cultural Partnership to Support Emerging Artists

Efforts to decentralize Spain’s cultural scene have received a boost following a new partnership between TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes and Madrid Destino. This collaboration aims to connect artists from the Canary Islands with the capital’s creative hubs, helping professionals gain the experience and exposure needed to advance their careers.

Curator Lucía Dorta Abad and artist Oumaima Manchit Laroussi have been selected for this year’s residency program, which runs from April 14 to July 10. They will be based at the Matadero Madrid Center for Artistic Residencies, where they will receive technical support, expert guidance, and a platform to showcase their work. Each resident will receive 7,500 euros, plus travel expenses.

The program goes beyond financial support by integrating the artists into the Matadero Madrid schedule. On June 12 and 13, the public will be invited to visit the studios to see the artists' work processes firsthand.

The selected projects explore deep sociopolitical themes. Dorta Abad’s research, Cuentos de fantasmas para antes de dormir (Bedtime Ghost Stories)—developed with Narelys Hernández and Sofía Martín Digiuni—examines the many ways we experience memory. Meanwhile, Manchit Laroussi uses autofiction to explore grief and oral traditions in North Africa. Her work investigates how historical narratives have shaped the perception of female and racialized bodies, challenging the exclusion and stigma often hidden behind traditional practices.

This partnership between Tenerife and Madrid highlights the importance of supporting emerging artists, ensuring that critical discussions about identity and history have a place in the national cultural conversation.