đš The Tapa Weekend: May 5
Featuring street art, a documentary festival and yet another museum for instagrammers.
By @IanMount and @AdrianBono | May 5, 2023 | Madrid | Issue #6
đ Welcome to a new issue of The Tapa: Weekend Edition! An English-language newsletter about what to do this weekend in Spain (plus memes because why the hell not).
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âïž 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend
We barely just started the work week to find out itâs suddenly Friday again. Not that weâre complaining, of course, but this week went by relatively fast. Maybe itâs the longer days and the tintos de verano that put us in a better mood, but we must admit weâre excited about going back to partying responsibly celebrating the end of labor. So from street art to fresh produce markets and French EDM, here are our top picks for the weekend. Youâre welcome.
1. Let Your Inner Artist Go Wild at Pinta Malasaña 2023
Madridâs urban art festival Pinta Malasaña is back for its eight edition so if youâre into letting your frustrated artist persona take over for a few hours, make sure you donât make any plans this Sunday.
Malasaña is known for its hipster cafes and quaint streets, but also for its street art. Over 100 artists will create art interventions in the area (in storefronts and private homes), reimagining one of the coolest neighborhoods in Madrid once more. Not only that, but the Condeduque Cultural Center and the Espacio Pinta Malasaña will act as hubs for related activities that day such as free workshops, face and street painting and even prizes to the best artworks. Now that weâve got good weather, taking an afternoon stroll while looking at people (legally) spray paint the walls doesnât sound like such a bad idea, does it? Check their website to find out about the (many!) locations participating in it.
PS: While the event is officially only on Sunday, the Espacio Pinta Malasaña is offering a few related activities on Saturday as well, so make sure you check out their website for more information.
Pinta Malasaña 2023. All around Malasaña, special events at Condeduque Cultural Center and Espacio Pinta Malasaña. Sunday, May 7. All day. Free.
2. Museum of Dreamers: Another One For Instagrammers
Move over Balloon Museum, youâre so last month! Havenât you heard? Itâs all about the Museum of Dreamers now. What is it, you ask? Well, itâs one of those things you pay to go in and take a few cool looking selfies, post them on Instagram and get millions** of likes from your followers. (Hey, not that weâre judging. Weâre no strangers to posting thirst traps and other embarrassing content in order to see our follower count go up. But we digress.)
The Museum of Dreamers has 16 âimmersive installationsâ that you can visit with your friends to take some great photos that will look just like everyone elseâs. There are swings, long dinner tables and upside down rooms. So if you think posting about street art is too pedestrian, buy your tickets and go stand in line while practicing selfies and wearing your expensive clothes. Enjoy.
Museum of Dreamers. Espacio Ibercaja. Cl. del Parroco Eusebio Cuenca, 63. Madrid. May 6 to July 30. Check website for opening hours and ticket prices.
** You will definitely not get millions of likes unless youâre, like, Kim Kardashian.
3. Madridâs International Documentary Film Festival is Back
The International Documentary Film Festival of Madrid is back for its 20th year showcasing the best feature and short documentary films âfrom all over the world, focusing on contemporary films and placing special emphasis on new aesthetic approach.â
There will be three major competitive sections: International competition, National Competition and Final Cut, with each section awarding two prizes, the Jury Prize for the Best Film and the Special Jury Prize. Check the eventâs website for additional information such as the program and other special activities that included exhibits and musical performances.
Documenta Madrid 2023, Cineteca, Pl. de Legazpi, 8. May 3-7. Check official website for schedules and ticket prices.
4. Get a Sample of French DJ Fakearâs Electronic Music
French DJ and electronic music producer Fakear (nĂ©e ThĂ©o Le Vigoureux) is back in Madrid to present his fifth (and latest) album Talisman. Heavily influenced by East Asian sounds and fully embracing his ecologist convictions, the musician goes back to his roots in the early 2010s after a two-year absence. French media calls his music âorganicâ and âclose to the elementsâ and praises his decision to combine it with the powerful voice of French environmental activist Camille Etienne.
Fakear. Sala El Sol, Calle de los Jardines 3, Madrid. May 5, 9 p.m. Tickets start at âŹ20.50
5. Eat Something Fresh at the Mercado de Productores Planetario
This popular fresh produce market offers high quality products from growersâ farm straight to your table the first and third Sunday of every month. All fruit and vegetables sold have been grown in nearby locations, which reduces energetic consumption, respects the environment and supports the farming sector. So if you want to eat healthy while buying local, this is a great option for you. It also looks great on your Instagram stories. (Probably better than the Museum of Dreamers, anyway.)
Mercado de Productores Planetario. Av del Planetario, 16, Parque Tierno GalvĂĄn, Madrid. Sunday, May 7, 10 a.m. Free admission (just remember to bring a bag).
đšđ»âđ» Other Headlines of the Week
These are some of the most ridiculous or viral stories in Spain this week that didnât make our Thursday edition but we felt deserved a (dis)honorable mention today.
đ©âđł They probably spit in the soup too
We all suspect that waiters and cooks secretly hate us just a little when we ask for special orders, but weâre never quite sure, right? Well, a group visiting a Valencia restaurant recently learned what the eatery staff really thought of them after one member ordered off menu.
The diner, who was vegetarian, asked the waiter to separate out meat from the dishes, which involved bringing the torreznos that formed part of an appetizer on a separate plate. They commented that the dish, a âŹ15 plate, didnât include the truffles listed on the menu. Letâs say the vibe wasnât great. Then the vegetarian asked for a spaghetti dish with cheese and mushrooms, but there was none that day so the waiter delivered spaghetti with plain tomato sauce but tried to charge the original price. The group complained. The mood darkened.
The meal hit its climax when the bill arrived, with an added special order commentary included under the spaghetti order: âsin carnes para la rompe bolasââwithout meat for the ball-buster.
Voila!
(Twitter and Substack are fighting because Elon Musk, so we canât embed actual tweets right now. To see the thread including the dinerâs negative review on Instagram, and the bill, click here.)
đ€Ž Uneasy is the head that wears a crown
The gala dinner the royals gave Colombian President Gustavo Petro was always destined to be tense. Petro has not been shy about his feelings towards Spain and its history of colonization so we were all really interested in watching the dynamics at play during such a special gathering.
And it was as awkward as we expected.
First, Petro decided to break protocol and refused to wear a tux during dinner with King Felipe VI, arguing that itâs a symbol âassociated with the elites and anti-democracyâ.
To be honest, we donât care. Itâs 2023, there are worse things to be horrified about.
Then thereâs the brief awkwardness displayed by both Colombian First Lady VerĂłnica Alcocer and King Felipe VI while listening to the Colombian national anthem and making it look like neither of them wanted to be here. To be fair, itâs just a seven-second clip and should be nothing but anecdotal, but that didnât stop it from going viral on Twitter.
And yet, if thereâs one thing we think should definitely go viral is Alcocer breaking into dancing outside the Colombian embassy in Madrid earlier this week.
First of all, sheâs got some great moves. And second (since youâre probably asking), the First Lady is seen dancing mapalĂ©, an Afro-Colombian style of dance.
Letâs focus on the positive, people.
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