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

At the most recent edition of Art Madrid, artist Luis Olaso (Bilbao, 1986), represented by Kur Art Gallery (San Sebastián), received the Residency Prize of the Art Madrid Patronage Program. This award, the result of a collaboration between Art Madrid, DOM Art Residence, and the Italian association ExtrArtis, enabled him to undertake an artistic residency in Sorrento (Italy) in August 2025.

Through initiatives like this, the fair reaffirms its support for contemporary creation—a commitment aimed at increasing artists’ visibility and strengthening art collecting through concrete actions such as acquisition prizes, recognition of emerging talents, and international residencies.

Artists in Residence. DOM & ExtrArtis. Image courtesy of Agata D’Esposito.

The DOM & ExtrArtis 2025 Residency Program took place in Sorrento from August 1 to 31, 2025. The artists lived together at Relais La Rupe, a 16th-century villa surrounded by cliffs and centuries-old gardens, which became an ideal setting for experimentation and exchange.

In this edition, residents worked around the theme “Reimagining Genius Loci”, an invitation to reflect on how the movement of people and traditions transforms the “spirit of place.” During the residency, DOM organized two public group exhibitions: the first to present the artists’ previous work, and the second to showcase the projects developed in Sorrento.

Work by Luis Olaso. DOM & ExtrArtis. Image courtesy of Agata D’Esposito.

Luis Olaso’s work moves between expressionist figuration and abstraction, always employing a pictorial language charged with strength and emotion. Initially self-taught, he later graduated in Fine Arts and has developed a solid international career, with exhibitions at venues including JD Malat (London) and Makasiini Contemporary (Turku, Finland), and participation in fairs such as Untitled Miami, Estampa, and Art Madrid itself.

His work is part of prestigious collections, including the Tokyo Contemporary Art Foundation, Fundación SIMCO, and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, and has been recognized in competitions such as the Reina Sofía Prize for Painting and Sculpture and the Ibercaja Young Painting Prize.

In Sorrento, Olaso found a unique context to expand his pictorial research, engaging in dialogue with the Mediterranean landscape and the region’s historical heritage. The residency provided him with time, resources, and a framework for exchange with other international artists, fostering the production of new works that were later presented in the group exhibitions organized by DOM.

Luis Olaso working on his project. DOM & ExtrArtis. Image courtesy of DOM.

Luis Olaso’s experience at DOM Art Residence concluded with a public showcase of the works produced, reinforcing his presence on the international circuit and consolidating his position as one of the most prominent Basque artists on the contemporary scene.

Through initiatives such as this, Art Madrid demonstrates its active role as a platform for direct support of contemporary creation, creating opportunities for research, production, and intercultural dialogue that extend beyond the fair itself and accompany artists in their professional development.