A few hours before the opening of doors - on Wednesday, February 21 - the atmosphere within one of the great fairs of the Week of Art is exciting. Come to Art Madrid'18 to enjoy art like never before!

Foto de la pasada edición en Art Madrid'17

Carpet, cartels, paint, the staircase, be careful with that photograph... There are many months of work that precede the celebration of an event such as Art Madrid, one of the great fairs of the Art Week in Madrid, work of selection, contact and management of the participating galleries, the work of communication, the design of the graphic elements, the plan, the licenses, the technical sheets, the prices, the sending of invitations, the calendars, the parallel activities ... but at this point we would give our kingdom by a simple nail! A few hours before the opening of Art Madrid - tomorrow, Wednesday, February 21st at 11:00 am we open the doors of the CentroCentro Glass Gallery, and at 1:00 a wine will be served for the guests - all are nerves, but also an enormous confidence in the work done and in those who have helped us make it possible, our sponsors Suarez and Liquitex (who will have two spaces in the AM18 lounge area with activities that we will announce each day), our collaborator Ink and Movement, our media partner official Cultura Inquieta, or brands such as La Virgen brewery or the Pago de Cirsus winery that decided to ally with the fair for years and still accompany us.

At the official opening we will have the presence, among others, of the ambassadors of Germany, Brazil, Ukraine, France, Switzerland, Italy, Chile and the Ambassadors of Costa Rica and Jordan, example of the acceptance, Mr. Ryan Matheny Garrido, Aggregate Cultural Center of the Embassy of the United States, a good example of the importance that the fair already has among collectors and foreign professionals.

Foto de la pasada edición en Art Madrid'17

On the part of local institutions have confirmed their attendance D. Felipe Llamas, Chief of Staff of the Mayor's Office of Madrid and Dª. María Carmen Castell Díaz, Member of the Ordinary Permanent Commission of Culture and Sports of the Madrid City Council, as well as Dª. Alicia Durántez de Irezabal, D.G. of Cultural Heritage Community of Madrid. Subdirectorate General for Dissemination and Management and Dª. Elisa de Cabo de la Vega Deputy Director General for the Protection of the Historical Heritage of the Ministry of Culture MECD.

As a representation of cultural institutions and foundations we will have Juan Barja, Director of the Círculo de Bellas Artes, Javier del Campo of Fundación Caja de Burgos, with Dª. Fátima Sánchez Santiago, Director of Projects and Education Area of ​​the Botín Foundation, Dª. Leticia Martín, Manager Atlantic Center of Modern Art-CAAM, Mr. D. Michel Bertrand, Director of the Casa Velázquez, Dª. Laura Ramón Brogeras, manager of the Art Collection of the Fundación Telefónica or Dª. Elena Alonso, Director Carlos Amberes Foundation.

We are waiting for you all in # ArtMadrid18

If visual arts arouse emotions in the viewer, and also gastronomy, at its finest, can cause a similar effect, the relationship between both "disciplines" is more than demonstrated.

Cheese is a fundamental piece in gastronomy, its diversity allows it to be part of gastronomy different moments, from starters to desserts, and that is why Art Madrid includes it in this year’s edition of the Fair from an ambitious place. Cheese is given this way a closest view to the creation of a work of art, both from the point of view of the time spent in its execution process and the almost personalized study dedicated to each piece during its elaboration.

Like a plastic artist, the Cheese Master Affineur executes a series of actions making each piece an exclusive and individualized element. This is what Madrid cheese factory QAVA de Quesos and its Master Afinador José Luis Martín achieve.

QAVA & MARTÍN AFINADOR is a new store concept: a unique space designed to taste, learn, promote and buy cheese in Madrid, in the heart of Retiro district."

José Luis Martín is a key piece in the QAVA cheese factory. He has been working in the cheese world for more than 30 years, providing training throughout the world, visiting cheese shops, consulting and advising on the design and implementation of one of the most emblematic cheese shops in Spain. The fact of knowing the producers personally, and even advising them on the manufacture and design of their products, allows him to select specific batches, at different stages of maturation, to complete the cheese ripening and then convert each piece into a unique product, different and with its own distinct character, the signature of the Cheese Master.

In the profile of the Master Martín Afinador experience and pure knowledge merge. Martín Afinador is an advisor and consultant for artisanal cheese factories and product design, and for the best-specialised stores in the country, director of Gourmetquesos, director and coordinator of the Championship of the Best Cheeses in Spain during nine editions, technical director and jury in national and international cheese competitions and tastings, collaborator of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Academy of Spanish Gastronomy, director and coordinator of the cheese section of the Repsol Guide to the Best Foods in Spain and trainer for hospitality schools and food centres teaching, among other activities.

Cheese ripening is a complex process that requires time and dedication, in addition to a developed use of the senses. The Cheese Master Affineur, as a specialist in the field, works in all cheese stages (varied and complex), controls all stages of raw material transformation, supervises the evolution and development of cheeses according to the characteristics of each one of them, verifies the quality and the state when the cheeses arrive at their cellars, checks their care and conservation, and; finally, he controls its packaging and the type of wrapping suitable for its best preservation.

In Qava de Quesos they have two Cheese Refining Cellars. In these "tuning caves" or refrigerated chambers designed in constant conditions of temperature, humidity and ventilation, "we take great care of the cheeses until they reach their optimum point of consumption". The work of refining involves placing the cheeses on wooden shelves, turning them over daily and/or washing them frequently, brushing them periodically, as well as other regular handlings.

Among the services offered by Qava de Quesos, we can find specific courses and workshops, events for groups and companies, and advice on shop design and ripening rooms.