Costus: The Milky Way is the new exhibition that will be held from April 21 to July at the Espacio Cultural Serrería Belga, a centre belonging to the Department of Culture, Tourism and Sport of the Madrid City Council. This exhibition brings together for the first time and after 40 years without being on display to the public, 12 of the 14 works that make up the series of paintings and sculptures created by the artists Juan Carrero and Enrique Naya, better known as Costus or “Las Costus”, for the legendary Malasaña cocktail bar La Vía Láctea. Curated by Elisa Hernando and organised by Arte Global and the Madrid City Council in collaboration with RedCollectors, the exhibition presents international figures such as Ava Gardner, Brigitte Bardot, Elvis Presley, Marylin Monroe, Marlon Brandon and Yul Brynner at the Espacio Cultural Serrería Belga, a unique industrial building from the first quarter of the 20th century. They all coexist with national celebrities such as Lola Flores and with glossy magazine stars of the time, represented in some cases sharing a table with the clients.
The works, life-size and in the best pop style, can be enjoyed for the first time in an exhibition, after being removed in 1984 from the bar for which they were created. A meticulous and exhaustive restoration process has returned the works to all the splendor with which they were made in the late seventies. Also included in this exhibition is Costus' painting "Caños de la Meca", acquired by the Museum of Contemporary Art of Madrid (MAC) in 2022 and which is part of the only exhibition that the couple held in Madrid in 1981 called "Chochonismo ilustrado". In it, Enrique Naya portrays Juan Carrero emerging from the waters of Cádiz.
Tribute to an entire era
Costus were the conjunction of the very personal artistic union of the painters Juan Carrero (1955-1989) and Enrique Naya (1953-1989), who in addition to being one of the most iconic couples of the movida, shared projects that made them one of the most recognizable icons of this countercultural movement that emerged in Madrid in the early years of the Transition.
The exhibition features nine paintings and three sculptures, commissioned in 1978 to decorate the premises, a landmark and meeting point for the Madrid scene. Of the 14 works in total, the whereabouts of two are unknown. This series dedicated to film and art stars marked the beginning of the collaboration between the two artists. Enrique Naya painted the figures in his characteristic realist style, influenced by American pop, especially Rosenquist and Wesselmann, while Juan Carrero did the same with the backgrounds.
For curator Elisa Hernando, “this exhibition is a unique opportunity to see the collection almost completely as it was conceived and created. It is exciting to discover, 40 years later, such a wonderful and lively series, which represents the aesthetic world of Costus at a creative moment in the capital of Spain where art, music, design, cinema and literature coexisted in a moment of creative explosion. Without a doubt, it is a very important milestone for Madrid to be able to recover this incredible cultural legacy from a unique period in the city. For thousands of Madrid residents it will be exciting to rediscover these paintings that are already part of all of our past.”
Despite his early death, Costus left behind a vast body of work that is part of important collections in museums and institutions such as the ECCO Museum, Cadiz (which houses the complete series "The Valley of the Fallen"); the Museum of Fine Arts of Cadiz; the Andalusian Centre for Contemporary Art (Isla de la Cartuja - Seville); the Museum of the 2nd of May (Móstoles); the ICO Collection (Madrid); the ARTIUM Museum (Vitoria); the Cadiz Provincial Council; the Cadiz City Council; and the Puerto de Santa María City Council, among others.
PRACTICAL DATA
Title of the exhibition: Costus: The Milky Way
Artists: Costus
Curator: Elisa Hernando Calero
Coordination: Global Art
Exhibition date: From April 21 to July 2023
Location: Cultural Space La Sawmill Belgium (C. de la Alameda, 15, 28014 Madrid)
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Saturdays from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; and Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
18.00 h