Street Art in Soho Malaga (click to enlarge) |
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Plan of Soho Graffiti art - Malaga Arte Urbano Soho |
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SOHO ART DISTRICT
By Fiona Flores Watson
The Soho art district of Malaga is a buzzing creative area of alternative culture located next to the Guadalmedina river, which has sprung up largely thanks to, and inspired by, the CAC (Centro de Arte Contemporaneo). The area is full of cafes, galleries and art spaces, putting on a wide range of cultural events and activities, and is especially famous for its graffiti or street art, which is featured on many Social Media channels such as Instagram.
The area of Soho Malaga covers a triangle bordered by Alameda Principal to the north, the Guadalmedina river to the west, and Avenida de Manuel Augustin Heredia running parallel to the port, with Plaza de la Marina at the eastern tip.
Graffiti artists whose work appears in Soho include huge international names such as D*FACE, Obey, Pejac and Manuel León. Each work is well documented, with biographies on the MAUS - Malaga Arte Urbano Soho website - check out their video of Malaga Arte Urbano Soho 2013. It features useful interative maps, to find graffiti sites as well as shops and bars.
Venues offering events include Sala Chela Mar, Sala Alameda UP and Feel Soho Hostel, but the most important is the CAC, with exhibitions of international level artists, talks, seminars and film screenings.
Malaga is also well-known as a skateboarding venue - skateboarders frequesntly use a special area in the dry river basin with some obstacles; other popular spots include Plaza de la Marina, Iglesia de la Victoria and the beach rails. The main skatepark in Málaga is the Rubén Alcántara Skatepark.
Hotels located either within or close to this area include Soho Bahia Malaga Hotel, Room Mate, Vsleria, Feel Malaga Hostal, Mariposa Hotel and Soho Boutique Colon. Restaurants in the area include Manducare, Mesón Ibérico, Madame Suzette, La Antxoeta and the high end Tercer Acto, part owned by Antonio Banderas and his brother, which is part of the Teatro Soho CaixaBank, a major performing space created by the Malaga-born Hollywood actor that is bringing Broadway shows to the city and investing in training local talent in the performing arts.
Seville also has an artistic, creative area, called Soho Benita, near the Setas, with many owner-designer stores and small galleries.
Getting there
For trains, RENFE Cercanias station ‘Centro Alameda' is the nearest, next to the Rio Guadalmedina. Many local buses stop on the Alameda Principal and at the bus station Muelle Heredia by the port entrance. If you're coming by car, street parking with pay-and-display meter is difficult to find, so go for covered parking under Plaza de la Marina or Parking Alemaña in Calle Alameda Colon. If you're arriving by cruise ship, it is walkable from the port.
