The exhibition, which opened on May 23 to coincide with European Museum Night, will remain open until the end of December and offers a fresh perspective on urban artistic practices, viewed as tools for expression, social transformation, and the construction of collective identity.

A museum that opens its doors to urban culture
More than a conventional exhibition, REBEL WALLS is conceived as a living creative laboratory where the public can engage with the creative process, observe artistic techniques and discourses, and appreciate the richness of a discipline that has long remained on the fringes of institutional circles in the Canary Islands.
The project temporarily transforms the spaces of Mata Castle into venues for artistic experimentation and community gatherings, fostering new ways of connecting artists, institutions, and the public.

Urban art as a tool for inclusion
The initiative highlights the potential of urban art to foster social cohesion, engagement, and cultural diversity. Through various initiatives and events, REBEL WALLS champions these cultural expressions as legitimate forms of art capable of connecting with new generations and broadening the audience for culture.

The program is also designed to be an accessible, intergenerational space where emerging artists, community groups, cultural mediators, and people interested in contemporary creative practices come together.

Urban dance to revitalize public spaces
Among the side events, “Castillo de Mata Feels and Dances” stands out—a multidisciplinary gathering focused on urban dance that regularly brings together artists, collectives, and the public around movement, music, and social commentary, coordinated by Gabriel Crowty.
The initiative transforms the museum, almost on a daily basis, into a dynamic space where groups from different disciplines engage in dialogue, expanding the project’s scope beyond the exhibition and reinforcing its participatory nature.

Rap, Words, and Community
Another key component of the program is “La Toma de Mata,” an open space for creation, gathering, and participation dedicated to rap, contemporary oral expression, and hip-hop culture, coordinated by artist, educator, and cultural mediator Aniba Faycan.
The initiative, which kicks off this Wednesday, June 3, aims to establish Mata Castle as a permanent hub for urban creativity, offering a space to share knowledge, develop artistic projects, and build community through culture.
Open mic sessions, “freestyle” events, showcases, recording sessions, and workshops will be held every Wednesday from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., although the space remains open the rest of the week as a meeting place for participants. The project is aimed at people of all ages, with a special focus on young people and teenagers interested in music, spoken word, performance, and artistic creation.

A showcase for creative processes
To conclude each monthly cycle, the program includes public gatherings and exhibitions where participants will share the work, processes, and ideas developed over the preceding weeks.
These presentations will highlight the collaborative work produced at the museum and strengthen the connection between artistic creation and the public—one of the main objectives of REBEL WALLS.
Through this initiative, the candidacy continues to promote projects that view culture as a space for participation, social innovation, and building the future, establishing the Castillo de Mata as one of the main venues for urban creativity in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.