Elena Mazzoni Wagner

MADRID I was desperate. A few days before The Midnight Run, I had to accept a sad and shocking fact: Inua Ellams wouldn’t have been able to come to Spain (for reasons too much bigger than us) and so this would have been The first MNR in History (since 2005) without its creator. Impossible to replace Inua: artist, poet and theatre performer, soul of this urban movement that is getting always more international. Impossible, but I had no alternative… And in the end – THANKS to the marvellous MNRunners, Partners and Artists – judging by all those smiles… it didn’t go so bad! The best thing of the MNR? The people!

photo by MNRunner: Paco (Francisco) Briseño

The video – by Stefano & Alejandra – and the collective photo gallery – made ​​for the first time by the MNRunners, thanks to the support of Lomography Spain – say much more than what I could write about that unforgettable night… So enjoy them! But first, a few things:

* ATTENTION on FACEBOOK! You can see the Lomo Gallery also on The Midnight Run facebook page, while on the CCT-SeeCity‘s one you’ll find the “unofficial” album (the collection of photos taken with smartphones or digital cameras). And in the next few days, on Lomography Spain facebook page, the photo CONTEST will start: it will be published an album with only the most representative photos of the #MNRmadrid, the best one by each MNRunner-Lomographer, and the author of the most voted photo – with more LIKES – will win a Lomo camera!!! So… be prepared to ask your friends to vote for you! ¡Buena suerte a tod@s!

* SAVE THE DATE! On Wednesday 8th October 2014, at approximately 10:50 pm (Rome Time), don’t miss our episode for UBIQ on RAI 5: we take you to London for meeting Inua Ellams… who – of course – will tell you also about this dream called “The Midnight Run”! If you are not in Italy, you could watch it on the web at this link: www.rai5.rai.it!

* #MNR2015! The [Madrid] Midnight Run * 26/27 Jul.’14 was the 4th MNR organized by CCT-SeeCity (after Florence, Milan in 2012 and Barcelona in 2013) and together with Inua Ellams we are already planning next summer 2015… to celebrate the first 10 years of The Midnight Run, born in London in 2005! We’ll update you soon with interesting news … So, stay tuned: #MNR2015!

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Video by Stefano & Alejandra

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The Collective LOMOGRAPHY Gallery by The MNRunners!

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#MNRmadrid, 26/27 Jul.’14

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And summing up in words: at 5.30 pm on Saturday 26th July 2014, we met at the KM 0 in Puerta del Sol, the heart of Madrid; the video camera of Stefano & Alejandra started shooting on our feet and we left; stealing some words from the streets in Barrio de Las Letras, we arrived at La Fábrica, art gallery and book store; here we said hello via Skype to Inua Ellams (online from London), we had the photography workshop by Pasquale Caprile (Lomography Spain Ambassador), and sipped the first fresh Holy Drink, ideal for having all the energy you need for a MNR tour; here we also found the Creative Guide for Curious People by our media partner Reykjavick Boulevard; then, armed with the colourful Lomo cameras, we walked to La Tabacalera (self-managed social centre in the big ex tobacco factory in Lavapiés); we met Ciril Vidal (Street Artist & DJ) who showed us around his studio and the rest of the building; lots of shots to those walls fully painted by artists who colour the streets of (not just) Madrid and after metro, direction Legazpi; dinner in the gleaming garden at La Cantina (restaurant inside the magnificent cultural centre Matadero Madrid), a toast and then back to the metro, this time directed to Alonso Martínez; we rang the doorbell of El Apartamento, we went up till the top floor of the building and there it was a magic: in this pseudo-bohemian penthouse (that usually hosts performances of Micro Theatre), we listened to the guitarist, songwriter and poet Paco Cifuentes and… the surprise guest, Rozalén (their voices!! WOW! about their performance, together, we’ll make soon a post); completely enchanted by the atmosphere, music and poetry, we sipped again some Holy Drink in the company of many other people who had joined us for the acoustic concert; we said goodbye to the guys of El Apartamento (who had patiently waited for us… we had 1 hour delay! p.s. Thanks again!) and started walking again…; we passed through the Barrio de Las Maravillas (better known as Malasaña), spreading everywhere the “You Are Beautiful” stickers that our romantic partner had sent us from Chicago (#YABsticker, hooray!); after having squeezed in a hug in the middle of Plaza del Dos de Mayo, we filled a wall of our poems and then we hopped on the Cuartel de la Montaña; we played (and laughed a lot) in the park of the Templo de Debod, as if we were at theatre; finally, we went down to the Barrio La Latina for dunking churros in warm cups of dark chocolate, obviously at San Ginés. And here we chatted untill 6.00 and then 7.00 and then 7.30 in the morning, on Sunday 27th July 2014… because it’s hard to say goodbye, after having shared 12 hours this way – of ART & FUN! – and having been so well together. ¡¡¡Gracias a tod@s y hasta luego amig@s!!!

MNRunners: [Elena Mazzoni Wagner] +
– Alice Pagani
– Alvaro Cuallado (Lomographer)
– Andrea Piotto (Lomographer)
– Bénédicte Peyrucq (Lomographer)
– Bianca Lorenzetti
– Carmen Ciaco + 1
– Chiara Panerai (Lomographer)
– Dalia Kamal (Lomographer)
– Elena Lagonigro (Lomographer)
– Eleonora Monzali (Lomographer)
– Emanuele Terracini (Lomographer)
– Erika Mazzoni (Lomographer)
– Francesca
– Francisco Briseño (Lomographer) + 1
– Giulia Capaccioli (Lomographer)
– Guillermo Muela (Lomographer)
– Ilaria Maré (Lomographer)
– Isotta
– Ivan Volpi
– Laura Amoretti
– Laura Narfit (Lomographer)
– Matteo Fantechi (Lomographer)
– Sharon Terenzi
– Toto (Lomographer)
+ the people who joined us at “El Apartamento” for the acoustic concert by Paco Cifuentes, thanks!

ARTISTS:
– STREET ART: Ciril Vidal (Street Artist & Dj)
– MUSIC: Paco Cifuentes (poet, singer & songwriter) + SURPRISE GUEST: Rozalén
– STREET PHOTOGRAPHY: Pasquale Caprile (Lomography Ambassador Spain)
– VIDEOMAKERS: Stefano Caprile & Alejandra Cano (Lomography Spain)

PARTNERS: 
– Reykjavik Boulevard: The International Creative Guide for Curious People.
– Lomography: The global community passionate about creative and experimental analogue photography.
– La Fábrica: Photo Gallery & Cultural Organization in Madrid since 1995.
– El Apartamento: Pseudo-bohemian Attic for Artists & Micro Theatre.
– You-Are-Beautiful.com: The Little Sticker That in 2002 Started a Worldwide Phenomenon.
– Holy Drink: HOLY is a wellness drink with vitamins, extracts and minerals. No sugar, no fat, 3 calories. Protect, detox and replenish your body.

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For people who, instead of sleeping, want to live dreams…

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The Midnight Run (MNR) is an urban movement created on 2005 by the word & graphic artist Inua Ellams from London (’84, Nigerian origins): writer, theatre performer and graphic designer (among his clients: Tate Modern, BBC, Coca Cola, Puma). Since 2011, CCT-SeeCity promotes The MNR in Italy and in the world! On September 2012, CCT has organized the first MNRs abroad UK in two Italian cities: Firenze and Milano. In June 2013, we made it in Barcelona. And in July 2014 we are back in Spain, the capital city, Madrid! While for summer 2015, along with Inua, we have big plans… to celebrate the first 10 years of The Midnight Run! So stay tuned… #MNR2015!

The MNR is a 12-hour walk (from 6pm to 6am) lead by Inua Ellams and 5 local artists with 30 participants. The walk is half organized and half spontaneous; during the various stops, the artists make live performances involving even passers-by.

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In the Midnight motto, ‘star’ can be taken literally,
or as a metaphor for art, artists, experiences
and the people in the shadow of the city,
in which case it takes on a beauty and importance:
The Midnight Run //
Cause we can’t see stars for fumes
we turn to smashed glass, believing
shards shine like constellations do.
Inua Ellams

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CCT promotes The MNR in Italy & in the World!
Do you want ‘The Midnight Run’ in your city?
Email us: events@cct-seecity.com