Art Madrid'26 – Alfonso de la Torre, new member of the Selection Committee AM16

 

 

Since its last edition, the fair has an independent committee of art professionals in charge of the analysis and evaluation of the proposals submitted by the applicants galleries.

 

The Selection Committee includes experts from the world of gallerism, curating, art collecting and art fairs consulting, and now from the criticism and theory of contemporary art, with the aim of shaping the General Programme of the fair to make it more complete, open, diverse and international.

 

In Art Madrid’16, the committee is made up by the specialist on international art market Angel Samblancat; the gallery owners Javier Lopez Velez (3 Punts Gallery, Barcelona) and Ricardo da Cruz Tenreiro (Art Lounge, Lisbon); the independent curator Carlos Delgado Mayordomo and the art critic Alfonso de la Torre. The team will meet in late October for viewing portfolios and proposals.

 

In the last edition of the fair, the selection committee reviewed more than a hundred proposals for national and international galleries. This year we expect to exceed that number and make the best possible program

 

ABOUT THE MEMBERS OF THE COMITTEE...

 

 

D. ÁNGEL SAMBLANCAT

Director of Editorial and Polígrafa Graphic&Print Art Gallery (Barcelona) for 40 years and member of the Direction Bureau in Joan Prats Art Gallery Barcelona) since its founding. Jury Member for the Triennial of Graphic Art in Grenchen (Switzerland) and a member of the Selection Committee for International Contemporary Art Fairs as Art Chicago (Illinois), Art Miami (Florida), Art Los Angeles (California), ARCO (Madrid ), Art Cologne Art Basel / Miami Beach (Florida).

 

 

 

D. JAVIER LÓPEZ VÉLEZ

Since 1994, he is the artistic director of 3 Punts Art Gallery, based in Barcelona and Berlin. Expert in Technical Drawing Projects and with studies in Sociology, he has been independent curator in various institutional exhibitions in Barcelona, Hospitalet and Andorra. Under his direction, the gallery organizes seven to eight individual exhibitions per year, with a clear evolution towards new artistic languages and where the work of curating and selecting art-works and artists is impeccable. As a gallery owner, participates in art fairs and events inside and outside our borders for nearly two decades.

 

 

D. RICARDO TENREIRO DA CRUZ.

Director of ArtLounge Art Gallery in Lisbon (Portugal). While he was in London, at an International Business school, he discovered the taste for painting and the power of art as a key factor in the increase of culture of the cities. Since these days, he is usual visitor in galleries and art fairs in order to find new artists that are worth bringing to Portugal. Nowadays, he is member of the Chamber of Commerce of Portugal- Singapore and he develops commercial and artistic

 

 

 

D. CARLOS DELGADO MAYORDOMO

BA in Art History at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Coordinator of exhibition projects of the International Fund for the Arts Foundation / FiArt, responsible for exhibitions in Culture Department of the City of Las Rozas (Madrid). Writer in Xtrart, on-line art magazine and professor of Contemporary art and Culture in Aularte. Since 2008, he is freelance curator for museums and institutions in Spain and Latin America. Has developed, among others, Ciria’s exhibition “Rare paintings” (2008), “Agustí Centelles: Case report” (2009), “Synergies. Contemporary Latin American art in Spain”, “Storymakers” (2013), “David Trullo. Fauxtographies” (2013). "Ciria. Las puertas de Uaset" (2014). Curator of the ONE PROJECT program in Art Madrid.

 

 

D. ALFONSO DE LA TORRE

Theoretician and art critic, specialist in contemporary Spanish art. He has curated more than one hundred exhibitions and has published numerous essays and taught at various universities and institutions: MNCARS, Teruel Museum, University of Los Andes, University of Córdoba, University of Granada, University of Castilla-La Mancha and University La Sorbonne. He is the author of the detailed catalogs about “El Paso”, Manolo Millares (MNCARS and Fund. Azcona, 2004) and Manuel Rivera (Diputación de Granada and Fund. Azcona, 2009), and he has recently concluded its catalog about Pablo Palazuelo (MNCARS, MACBA, Palazuelo Foundation Fund. Azcona). Since 2005 he leads an annual program of artistic interventions in public space (“The Field of Cultural-El Corte Inglés”) during the week of ARCO, which has the support of Madrid City Council. Regularly participates in discussion forums ARCO, responsible for the graduates: “Contemporary art and sponsorship” (2012); “The new power of collectors” (2013); “What is art in times of crisis?” (2014) and “In the Collector privacy” (2015). He directed one of the most comprehensive studies on the birth and evolution of the art market in Spain since the war until today “The Spain of the XXI Century” (Foundation System). In 2012 he was invited by the University of the Sorbonne to the International Colloquium “Le travail du visible” (Hermann éditeurs, Paris 2014). He directs the collection “El Ojo que ve” (University of Cordoba-La Fábrica) of photographic essays. He is vice president of the Pilar Citoler Foundation, dealing with the conservation of the collection. The Ministry of Education and Culture appointed him as jury in the National Award of Art (2015).

The 22nd edition of Art Madrid opens its application period. From 3 to 7 March 2027, the Galería de Cristal del Palacio de Cibeles will once again become the meeting point for national and international contemporary art. Galleries interested in taking part can submit their application until 20 October 2026.



Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Aerial view.

The Art Madrid contemporary art fair

Art Madrid takes place each year as part of Madrid Art Week, the moment in the Spanish art calendar with the highest concentration of collectors, institutions and specialist press. With 22 years of history, the fair brings together national and international galleries with a programme focused on recently produced contemporary work.


Located at the Galería de Cristal del Palacio de Cibeles, in the cultural heart of the city and steps away from the Triángulo del Arte and the Paseo del Prado, Art Madrid offers participating galleries a distinctive and recognisable setting within the Spanish art fair landscape.


Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Entrance.

Art Madrid'26 in figures

The previous edition closed with 35 galleries from 7 countries (Spain, Portugal, France, Denmark, Taiwan, South Korea and Cuba), over 200 artists and around 20,000 visitors. 35% of the audience were new collectors, with an age range between 35 and 60 and a gender split of 55% women and 45% men.


The fair welcomed representatives from more than 30 foundations, museums and collections, including Fundación Mapfre, Fundación BBVA, Fundación Telefónica, Fundación Banco Santander, Fundación Bertelsmann, Fundación María Cristina Masaveu Peterson, Fundación Carmen y Lluís Bassat, Fundación Studiolo, Fundació Lluís Coromina, IVAM, MARCO, CAAM, MEIAC and the Museo del Romanticismo. Delegations from Madrid City Council, the Community of Madrid, the Ministry of Culture and ambassadors from several countries also attended.


Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Fundación Studiolo Acquisition Award.

PROGRAMMES

GALLERIES PROGRAMME

In each edition, Art Madrid brings together a carefully curated selection of around 35 national and international galleries with proposals focused on recently produced contemporary work.


ONE SHOT COLLECTORS PROGRAMME

Sponsored by One Shot Hotels and led by Ana Suárez Gisbert (art advisor specialising in international law and the art trade, art appraiser and court expert), the Collectors Programme connects new and experienced buyers with the participating works and galleries through a personalised advisory service throughout the five days of the fair.


For galleries, it operates as an additional channel for engaging active buyers, running in parallel to their own commercial activity.


PATRONAGE PROGRAMME

Art Madrid partners with institutions, collectors and private companies to directly support artists and galleries through awards and acquisitions. At the 2026 edition:


  • One Shot Hotels Breakthrough Artist Award (€1,000): Joost Vandebrug · KANT Gallery (Copenhagen–Palma)
  • Cervezas Alhambra Emerging Artist Award (€1,000): Iyán Castaño · Galería Arancha Osoro (Oviedo)
  • Colección Studiolo Acquisition: Roger Sanguino · DDR Art Gallery (Madrid)
  • Colección E2IN2 Acquisition: Albert Bonet · Inéditad Gallery (Barcelona)
  • Devesa Law Acquisition: Kim Han Ki · Banditrazos Gallery (Seoul)
  • Colección dn2 Acquisition: Iván Baizán · Galería Arancha Osoro (Oviedo)

Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Devesa Law Acquisition Award.


PARALLEL PROGRAMME AND ON-SITE ACTIVITIES

Throughout February, Art Madrid runs a Parallel Programme of series, talks and projects that extend the dialogue beyond the fair venue.


During the five days of the fair, alongside the galleries' exhibition programme, on-site activities include the Open Booth, the Performance Series and Readings: Curated Tours.


Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. View of Daniel Barrio's Open Booth.


Communication and reach

The Art Madrid'26 communications campaign reached 17 million people across online and offline media: print press, radio, exclusive catalogue, web, newsletter, social media and virtual 360° tour. Coverage included general and specialist national and international media, with appearances on RTVE, TeleMadrid, Onda Madrid, Onda Cero, COPE, El Mundo, ABC, Vogue, TimeOut and Elle, among others.


All participating galleries and artists feature on the Art Madrid website during and after the fair, with their own profile, images of works and contact details.


Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Aerial view.


KEY INFORMATION:

Galleries interested in taking part in the 22nd edition of Art Madrid can submit their application through the online registration form available on the website until 20 October 2026.



For any queries, please write to info@art-madrid.com or call +34 91 535 87 11.