Mayrit 2026: Madrid's Design and Architecture Biennial Returns with Critical Focus on Technology and Material Culture

From May 20 to 24, Madrid hosts the fourth edition of Mayrit, the Design and Architecture Biennial, across fifteen city venues. This year's program centers on the theoretical framework (Super)Models developed by Eduarda Neves and Mohammad Salemy, examining how algorithms, technology, and market structures shape material culture. Two major institutional exhibitions anchor the event: Matadero presents twelve creators in a transdisciplinary show, while the Museo Nacional de Artes Decoratives features Saúl Baeza's IBEX36 installation, which subjects museum artifacts to real-time market speculation through an algorithmic system. Fourteen independent projects selected through an open call explore material relationships in alternative spaces, including Espace Aygo's wood-focused installation at Central de Diseño (supported by FINSA) and TAKK's wax-based furniture investigation at Camper's Serrano Street store. The official school partner Elisava Madrid supports programming that includes exhibitions, performances, conferences, and workshops. Public engagement extends through theoretical sessions at Ivory Press, participatory workshops led by architecture studios Elii and Husos at Infinito Delicias, and a culinary collaboration with restaurant Ticuí, which reinterprets Mexican tradition through natural textures. The biennial aims to challenge inherited patterns in design and architecture, investigating how invisible routines and consumption dynamics condition urban life.