Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo (CA2M)
The Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo — universally known as CA2M — is one of Spain's most respected contemporary art institutions and, bafflingly, one of its least crowded. Housed in a beautifully converted 1960s building in central Móstoles, it stages rotating exhibitions of international calibre alongside a permanent collection that includes works by Mike Kelley, Cabello/Carceller and Dora García.
The Collection and Exhibitions
The permanent collection focuses on art produced since the 1960s with a particular strength in conceptual, feminist and politically engaged work — a genuinely rigorous curatorial position rather than a crowd-pleasing greatest-hits approach. Highlights include a major installation by the American artist Mike Kelley and a growing body of Spanish video art that is rarely shown elsewhere.
Temporary exhibitions rotate every three to four months and have previously featured retrospectives of artists including Francesca Woodman, Eulàlia Grau and Rogelio López Cuenca — names that would draw long queues at Tate Modern or the Reina Sofía but can be seen here in peaceful near-solitude.
Architecture, Library and Events
The building itself is worth the visit: a low, horizontal structure with a central courtyard that floods the galleries with natural light. The ground-floor library and reading room is open to the public and holds one of the best specialist art-book collections in the Madrid region — free to browse, with no library card required.
CA2M runs a year-round programme of film screenings, artist talks and free weekend workshops for children and adults. Check the website before you visit; some events are so good they're worth building your entire trip around.
More of Móstoles
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Móstoles →
