Stunning Street Art Festival Energizes A Neighborhood In Madrid

Vibrant murals appear on the walls of bars, shoe stores, and hat shops in the Lavapiés district.
Artists cover the facade of the bar El colmo with illustrations of zeppelins, books, and quotes by the likes of Victor Hugo, Albert Einstein and Mahatma Gandhi.
Artists cover the facade of the bar El colmo with illustrations of zeppelins, books, and quotes by the likes of Victor Hugo, Albert Einstein and Mahatma Gandhi.
Carlos Pina

As the weather improves, the idea of being inside a museum becomes less and less attractive. People want to make up for lost time. In Madrid’s central Lavapiés district, an arts festival is bringing art out onto the streets.

Sixty Spanish and international artists are participating in C.A.L.L.E, the third Emerging Lavapiés Free Artistic Call Festival, between May 14 and June 5. The festival, co-orgainzed by the Lavapiés Merchants Association, seeks to boost artistic creation in the neighborhood, and draw people to its streets and local stores.

Artists have created artworks on the neighborhood’s walls, shop-windows, and other exteriors under this year's theme: “The Future, Lavapiés 2029.” Angulo, an artist who painted the walls of local herb store El Druida for the festival, says she thinks C.A.L.L.E can help revitalize the Lavapiés district.

“Initiatives like this one push people to walk through streets where galleries are not as popular as they should be,” she told HuffPost Spain.

Scroll down for more photos from Lavapiés.

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The tavern La Mancha has been redecorated both inside and outside. The artist Enllama has filled the inside of the premises with Origami and the doors with Kirigami.
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An artwork by Alva Moca for Calzados Vinigon, a shoe store.
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An artwork by Nekros for the bar Como vaca sin cencerro.
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Detail from the mural by Angulo for the herb store El Druida.
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CARLOS PINA
An artwork by Ze Carrión for the bar Juan Raro.
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The art collective Fliping has painted the facade of the bar El colmo with zeppelins and books.
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Another artwork by Alva Moca for Calzados Vinigon.
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An artwork by Alejandro Ontiveros for the hat shop Magarca Sombrerería.
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An artwork by Cali for the plant shop San Jorge Decoración Verde.
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An artwork by Virginia Calvo for the Mexican restaurant Taquería La Jalapeña.
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CARLOS PINA
Enllama covered the walls in names of endangered species.
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CARLOS PINA
An artwork by Fabiola Correas for Deliart hairdressers.

This post originally appeared on HuffPost Spain and has been translated into English and edited for clarity.

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