Madrileños — Graphic History of the Mercado de la Cebada

MADRILEÑOS: The Photobook

The Photobook project "Madrileños", myself as the author, and my fine art photography gallery have been officially selected as part of the programme of the prestigious PHotoESPAÑA 2026 festival (PHE26)

All the giclée prints offered as rewards are printed on 250 gsm Japanese Awagami bamboo paper.

The physical venue for the exhibition, distribution point and place to view the book — the mock-up is already available, and can be seen and handled — will be Mister Turrión, a space located at stalls 267 and 268 of the emblematic Mercado de la Cebada, in the La Latina neighbourhood.

In contrast to the monumental or stereotypical vision of the capital, "Madrileños" puts forward a thesis that is as simple as it is powerful: a Madrileño is anyone who lives and works in Madrid. This documentary photography project, conceived from within the very heart of the market, moves away from genealogy in order to focus on presence.

I inhabit this space not only as a photographer, but as another neighbour; I run the gallery inside the market itself, and this privileged position of proximity allows me to break down the aseptic barrier between observer and observed. For me, portraiture is not an intrusion, but the result of a conversation, a pact of trust forged among boxes of fish, meat counters and the coming and going of the public.

I use high-contrast black and white, sober and timeless, to strip the subjects of anything superfluous and focus on the truth of their faces and hands weathered by work. I have set up a studio in the heart of the market, where I work with soft, highly diffused side lighting projected onto an imperfect white backdrop whose wrinkles and textures are not hidden; on the contrary, they reinforce the honesty of the shot, lending it an air of provisionality and realism that moves the image away from the aseptic studio and places it in its real context.

This direction of light allows me to meticulously sculpt the cartography of the skin, the honesty of the gesture and the imprint of time on faces, elevating the everyday to an almost pictorial visual dignity.

In these portraits, the gaze into the camera is the central axis. There are no stolen shots; there is a direct encounter.

By looking straight into the lens, the subjects not only allow themselves to be seen, they also question us, conveying a mixture of pride, fatigue, dignity and absolute transparency. "Madrileños" is my personal tribute to the working class that keeps the pulse of the city alive.

With this book and exhibition, I seek to offer an honest, visceral and profoundly human portrait of those who define Madrid’s DNA in the heart of the 21st century.

By supporting this campaign, you are not just buying a book; you are supporting the cultural fabric and local commerce from the heart of the traditional La Latina neighbourhood and the Mercado de la Cebada in Madrid.

📖 The Photobook: A collector’s piece

The physical book has been designed with careful attention to detail. We do not want a printed digital catalogue; we are seeking a tactile and visual experience that will endure over time.

To ensure the highest technical quality, production will be carried out in collaboration with La Imprenta CG, leading specialists in the printing of art books in Spain.

Technical specifications of the edition:

• Size: 210 x 250 mm, custom vertical format.

• Pages: 200 pages printed in high-resolution black and white.

• Interior Paper: Premium 150 gsm Gardapat Klassica paper, renowned for its silky feel, its cream tone ideal for classic photography, and its absolute opacity.

• Binding: Sewn hard cover, bound in premium stock black cloth with white stamping on the front cover bearing the title "Madrileños".

• Finish: Individually shrink-wrapped for perfect preservation.

• Languages: Spanish and English.

🎁 Get exclusive rewards

The heart of this campaign is the basic €50 reward, designed specifically for our backers as a package that will not be available in shops afterwards under these conditions:

• The "Madrileños" Photobook: Your copy of the limited edition, signed and dedicated by the author.

• Free Giclée Print, only until July 25: A museum-quality copy in DIN A4 size, with a 13 x 18 cm image area. Printed using the Giclée technique on premium 250 gsm Japanese Awagami Fine Art bamboo paper in our own workshop. You will be able to choose your favourite photograph from the entire book series or from the gallery catalogue.

Note: From July 25 onwards, coinciding with the final stretch of the PHotoESPAÑA exhibition, the book will be sold at its regular price without including the free Giclée print.

📸 Who we are

Behind this project is Adolfo Morales Martín. I have 40 years of experience as a photographer and director of photography, which supports the technical rigour and visual narrative of each of the images that make up the book.

I am the founder of the fine art photography gallery Mister Turrión, located at stalls 267-268 of the Mercado de la Cebada. For this project and future independent photographic releases, I have founded my own publishing imprint, 108 shoots, focused on giving voice to documentary photography through high-quality self-publishing.

📊 What your contributions will be used for

The minimum goal of this campaign has been calculated transparently and down to the last cent in order to cover the project’s minimum start-up costs. The funds raised will be divided as follows:

• 80% - Printing and Binding: Allocated entirely to the invoice from La Imprenta CG to cover the production of the pages on Gardapat paper and the sewn hard covers bound in cloth.

• 10% - Reward Production and Shipping: Cost of the Fine Art bamboo papers, Giclée printing consumables and certified shipping packaging.

• 10% - Management Costs: Regulated commission from the Verkami platform and secure card payment gateways.

Any extra funds raised beyond the initial goal will go directly towards increasing the print run of copies from the publishing imprint, allowing the project to have a wider reach in independent bookshops and photobook fairs.

🗓️ Estimated timeline

All the fieldwork, graphic design and layout of the piece have already been completed. We have a real physical mock-up available in the gallery for anyone who wishes to leaf through it.

Therefore, the execution schedule is immediate and risk-free:

• June - July 2026: Active pre-sale campaign on Verkami and physical exhibition at the Mister Turrión Gallery, Mercado de la Cebada, as part of the PHotoESPAÑA programme.

• July 25, 2026: Campaign closes, backers’ names are collected for the acknowledgements pages, and the final optimised files are sent to the printer.

• August 2026: Printing process at the workshops of La Imprenta CG and artisanal production of the Giclée copies on bamboo paper in our workshop.

• September 2026: Delivery of rewards. We will enable free in-person collection at our gallery stalls in the Mercado de la Cebada and will simultaneously carry out certified postal shipments for all backers outside Madrid.

🔗 + Info

Follow the day-to-day progress of the project, the atmosphere of the market and discover the full catalogue of images through our official channels:

• Visit the gallery website and check out the pre-sale here

• Take a look at the author’s portfolio here

• Follow us and interact with us on our Official Instagram