DREAM DATE

Solo's labyrinthine new art space in Madrid presents a surreal opportunity for exploring contemporary art and architecture

- SOFIA DE LA CRUZ

Madrid has always thrived on artistic tension: between heritage and rebellion, classicism and avant-garde. The Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums still anchor the city's 'golden triangle of art', yet past these marble halls filled with European treasures lies another Madrid, one shaped by the insurgent galleries and collectors that are placing the Spanish capital on the global contemporary stage.

The 2025 edition of ARCO Madrid gathered 214 galleries from 36 countries, turning the city into the art world's spring focal point. But beyond the contemporary art fair's temporary pulse, a constellation of cultural projects is now repositioning Madrid more permanently. The capital has become a hotbed of artistic proposals, with an increasing number of international collectors choosing to settle here.

At the centre of this momentum is arts project Solo. Established a decade ago by entrepreneurs-turned-collectors Ana Gervás and David Cantolla, it has steadily become one of Spain's most innovative cultural initiatives. 'From the start, we've tried to remain on the experimental side of what it means to build an arts project: not too extreme, but also never taking ourselves too seriously,' say Gervás and Cantolla.

The pair unveiled their first public space in 2018 on Plaza de la Independencia. It offers a mix of permanent and rotating exhibitions, and more than 1,200 works, but access is by appointment only, so a visit feels closer to a private viewing than a museum outing. 'It was a turning point that allowed us to present ourselves to the public for the first time,' they add. Further north, Solo Castanedo in Cantabria expands their reach with a rural outpost devoted to research and production.