Tag: madrid

T-Cross Creativity Fest: More Than 1 Thing

Last weekend we attended T-Cross Creativity Fest, a new festival organised by Volkswagen in Madrid with the objetive of inspiring people through workshops, talks, gigs and other activities across different areas such as design, art, food, connectivity or technology. A different concept in which we were invited to discover, learn and listen.

www.tcrossfest.com

T-Cross Creativity Fest took place at Casa del Lector in Matadero, a former slaughterhouse that is now a cultural and arts centre for promoting innovation in the city. During just one day, attendees could discover the work of different Spanish artists, designers, illustrators and musicians who are shaping the current creative landscape in the country.

Artists Carlos Saéz and Abel Iglesias created installations that were designed to interact with them. The talks were led by creatives like typeface designer Alex Trochut, data company Domestic Data Streamers, 3D studio Six N.Five or iconic designer Javier Mariscal, who closed the festival looking back at everything he has created throughout his career.

There were also workshops run by illustrator Monstruo Espagueti, designers Maria Ke Fisherman or graphic designer Arnaud Pi, who shared with the attendees their knowledge and expertise in their areas. And bands and musicians like Adriana Proenza, Melenas or Carlos Sadness played live gigs.

T-Cross Creativity Fest was created to embrace the values of T-Cross, the new car by Volkswagen designed for those who are more than 1 thing and need the versatility of a vehicle that can adapt to anyone, no matter how many things they do in their daily lives.

June 10, 2019
Emerging art meets the best electronic music at Paraíso Festival in Madrid

One of the latest additions to Madrid’s music festivals, Paraíso Festival returns in its second edition (14-15 June) with a line-up in which the best international and local electronic music artists meet emerging art and award-winning food.

www.paraisofestival.com

The music festival scene in Madrid keeps on growing with more innovative projects bringing some of the best international talent to the city whilst giving visibility to local artists. This is the case of Paraíso Festival, which after its first edition last year has become a hub for discovering new electronic music projects in a relaxed and sustainable environment, completely different to the usual crowded, festival settings.

This year the line-up includes shows and sets by international artists like Bob Moses, CHVRCHES, Antal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Laurent Garnier, Maribou State and Rhye. A rare opportunity to see some of these artists playing for their first time in the city.

Paraíso Festival also wants to become a platform for local talent and that’s why this year the festival will showcase live sets and performances by emerging electronic music artist at the Escenario Nido (Nest Stage). This space is solely dedicated to artists that are contributing to changing and growing the scene in Madrid, like El Cuerpo del Disco, Estatua de la Libertad or Dos Doggos.

Additionally, Paraíso Festival will also showcase installation and performance projects selected amongst all the proposals received to participate in this year’s edition. The brief revolved around the creation of projects exploring the relationship between people, nature and consumerism. Argentinian artist Melisa Zulberti will present her work ‘Dentro’ (Inside), an inflatable structure with a light installation investigating how we interact with nature and our environment. Architecture collective Terrario Arquitectura will build an installation made of 180Kg of plastic (a family’s average yearly consumption) that reconsiders how we can use this material to create liveable structures.

Don’t miss Paraíso Festival on 14-15 June at Campus de la UCM, Madrid!

May 22, 2019
A visit to IED Innovation Lab in Carabanchel, Madrid

We recently visited the new space of Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) in the up-and-coming neighbourhood of Carabanchel, Madrid. IED Innovation Lab is conceived as a design playground for transformation projects – whether it is exploring new food possibilities with a Michelin-starred chef or engaging with local businesses and neighbours.

IED Innovation Lab provides new design experiences and tools for companies, public institutions, neighbours, students and creatives to come together and work on their projects revolving around transformation. This space, located in a former furniture factory, has been renovated to host meeting areas, a fabrication workshop that students from IED can use to complete their assignments, a canteen which will soon be open to creatives working nearby too, a rooftop with amazing views of Madrid’s skyline and 6 labs dedicated to exploring ideas around different topics: Fab Lab, Media Lab, VR Lab, Green Lab, City Lab, Business Lab and Food Lab.

IED Innovation Lab operates on the basis of 6 principles, all conceived under a holistic approach in order to tackle design problems from a new perspective.

Matchmaking: IED Innovation Lab provides access to the largest creative community in Madrid, facilitating collaborative projects between people and organisations with similar goals.

Empowering: Design should be accessible to everyone, that’s why IED Innovation Lab works to put it into the hands of the people and businesses that need it the most.

Playful: Creative, fun and messy exploration are some of the key elements when approaching a design project.

Unbound: As an unresolved and self-organising place, the roles shift and transform based on the personalities, relationships and ideas that inhabit the space.

Humanistic: The sense of community and the relationship between the individual and society are strong at IED Innovation Lab, bringing a new dimension to design and the way problems are solved.

Formative: Everyone is a student at IED Innovation Lab, helping each individual to grow their multidisciplinary knowledge and develop new areas in which they can apply their skills.

Still at its early stages, IED Innovation Lab will open its doors officially in early autumn 2018. You can find more information about the current projects and plans for the upcoming months on its website:
www.iedinnovationlab.com

July 6, 2018
Paraíso Festival 2019: Our Highlights

We recently talked about Paraíso Festival, an electronic music festival taking place in Madrid that has become one of the best music experiences in the city due to its carefully curated line-up, its connection to art and sustainability and its goal to serve as a platform for local DJs, producers and artists.

We attended its second edition on 14-15 June and asked illustrator Laura Flores to join us and do live drawings of some of our highlights from the festival.

Illustrations by Laura Flores and photographs by Sharon Lopez, Rodrigo Mena and Arturo de Lucas.

The atmosphere

Even though 25.000 people attended Paraíso, 40% more than last year, the festival didn’t feel crowded and it was easy to find a seat to eat or some free space at the multiple relaxation areas. The complex where the festival takes places is also pretty compact, which makes it easier to move from one stage to another if you want to make the most out of the line-up.

The diverse line-up

Paraíso is mainly an electronic music festival but this year’s line-up felt much more diverse, with a variety of genres especially at the main stage, Escenario Paraíso, with performances by the likes of Rhye, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Maribou State, Mount Kimbie or Channel Tres.

The Escenario Club was home to live sets and performances by artists like Peggy Gou, IAMDDB and Jacques Greene. Whilst Escenario ABSOLUT brought to Madrid an eclectic mix of performers from South America, Africa and Europe such as Nicola Cruz, Kampire, Young Marco and Kalabrese.

Rhye playing at Escenario Paraíso, food prepared with seasonal and local produce, Channel Tres performing, one of the many relaxation areas and Mount Kimbie on the stage

The art

Several art installations took over the festival space, creating ephemeral pieces that questioned our relationship with the environment. English artist and mathematician Paul Friedlander created a 5 metre light installation called Dancing Wave, architecture studio Terrario Arquitectura built a piece made of 180kg of inflatable beach mattresses, Argentinian artist Melisa Zulberti engaged attendees with her performance Dentro, architectural group TEXTWO created a modular structure called Urban Espora that served as a seating area and Fine Arts students from Universidad Complutense designed the Paraíso Totem.

Escenario Nido

For its second edition, Paraíso Festival has decided to give more visibility to local and emerging artists, DJs and producers. Escenario Nido (Nest Stage) served as a platform to discover electronic sounds from Madrid with sets and sessions by Dos Doggos, El Cuerpo del Disco, Estatua de la Libertad or Guacamayo Tropical.

Melisa Zulberti’s installation ‘Dentro’, the Paraíso Totem, ABSOLUT’s ice cocktails and Escenario Nido

The Food

Festival food doesn’t have to be bad or unhealthy. Following its sustainable ethos, Paraíso Festival collaborated with award-winning chef Rebeca Hernández to curate 14 food trucks offering a delicious menu based on seasonal and local produce. Burgers, tacos or pizza were just a few of the many food offerings that we could try during this 2-day festival.

June 22, 2018
Madrid Instants

Last week we travelled to Madrid to work on a new City Guide. We loved the city and can’t wait to show you all the places we visited. Until then, here’s a small preview taken from our Instagram profile.

The views from the rooftop of El Círculo de Bellas Artes

Cacto Cacto, a shop selling only cacti and succulent plants

Toma Café, a cool coffee shop in the Malasaña neighbourhood

Kyle Hughes-Odgers exhibition at Swinton and Grant gallery

Federal Café in the hip neighbourhood of Conde Duque

Illustration museum Museo ABC

Pinar, a really nice menswear shop in the Barrio de las Letras neighbourhood

El Retiro park

November 24, 2015