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I share in Las Fotos de los Lectores de La Vanguardia this series of photographs taken in the Lavapiés and Malasaña neighborhoods of Madrid, in which you can appreciate how art flows when you turn the corners.
Lavapiés, in the southern part of the center of the Spanish capital, is a neighborhood whose name is of uncertain origin. It is disputed whether it came from the fountain that the Jews used to wash their feet or from the streams that passed through the neighborhood when it rained, due to its inferior geological situation to the rest of the city.
It is a neighborhood with a great diversity of cultures. More than 20% of the population is of foreign origin, coming from almost 90 different countries.
This cultural diversity is reflected in its gastronomic richness and its commitment to multiculturalism. This and the neighborhood protests that have characterized the neighborhood throughout its history have made it a perfect place for urban art to flourish in its streets, a claim for creators as a form of expression.
Malasaña is the other great epicenter neighborhood of street art in Madrid, although urban art, in imitation of other European countries, was first born in the peripheral neighborhoods and then spread to the most central ones.
Malasaña is a place with a strong tradition of urban art. Such is the union between this neighborhood and street art that the Pinta Malasaña Festival is held annually.
It is a festival of cultural creation, open and free, which aims to celebrate the urban art of Madrid. During one day a year, more than 200 artistic performances take place. It is usually held in spring and there are photography contests, free workshops and other parallel activities.
