Costus: The artists Juan Carrero and Enrique Naya, better known as Costus or "Las Costus", created a series of paintings and sculptures for the legendary La Vía Láctea bar in Malasaña. Now, for the first time and 40 years after they were last seen by the public, 12 of the 14 works that made up the series are being put on display.

The exhibition brings together international stars of the stature of Ava Gadner, Brigitte Bardot, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brandon and Yul Brynner. All of them rubbing shoulders with national celebrities such as Lola Flores and with the stars of the tabloids of the day, some of whom are portrayed sharing a table with the bar's patrons.

The life-size works, in the best pop style, can be enjoyed in an exhibition for the first time since in 1984, which is when they were removed from the bar for which they were created. Following a meticulous and exhaustive restoration process, the works can now be seen in all their glory, just as they were in the late 1970s.

This series of portraits of movie stars and art celebrities marked the beginning of the collaboration between the two artists. Enrique Naya painted the people in his characteristic realistic style, influenced by American Pop Art and especially by Rosenquist and Wesselmann, while Juan Carrero took care of the backgrounds.

The exhibition also includes Costus' painting "Caños de la Meca", acquired by the Madrid Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC) in 2022, which was part of the only exhibition the two artists held in Madrid in 1981, entitled "Chochonismo ilustrado". In it, Enrique Naya portrayed Juan Carrero emerging from the sea in Cadiz.