Art Madrid'26 – Jean-Michel Basquiat in Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

With an Haitian father and mother from Puerto Rico, Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) always defended its origins in the streets of Brooklyn, where he was born and raised, marking their facades, underground hydrants, their cars, walls, Dumpsters with paintings. He just turned 18, when he signed as SAMO (Same old shit, "the same old shit") and stood among teenagers in the neighborhood for his intellectual and artistic skills, skills that transformed their graffiti on allegations against social inequalities, by the defense of disadvantaged minorities, true graphic files on the harshness of the time in that city.
Panel de expertos, 1982.
 
 
His first solo exhibition, at age 21, showed those same lines, colors, this young and gifted nerve in dozens of large paintings, objects, papers, being the first graffiti artist (... with Keith Haring) on ??exhibit in a gallery Art, opening new doors to Fine Arts and all contemporary art. The show was a success and all the pieces were sold.
 
In 1982 he participated in Documenta VII and the Whitney Biennial and was in those years when the clever Andy Warlhol adopted him as fetish and they became inseparable, they portrayed each other and signed a friendship / admiration that transcends both. Basquiat's reputation grew as they performed exhibitions in North America and Europe; soon he became a prolific artist and media personality in the cultural field.
Andy Warhol y Basquiat.
 
 
Jean-Michel Basquiat: Now is the time, is an exhibition organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario in partnership with the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, explores some of the most important issues of the innovative work of Basquiat over a hundred paintings and drawings by the artist, ordered for the first time from a thematic perspective.
 
The exhibition is articulated in 8 sections: The street as a studio, Heroes and saints (homage to the "black man"), Claiming stories, Reflex (dedicated to racist episodes of his time, slavery), Dualities and double identity, Playing to cheat: drawings and provocations, a seventh section with collaborations with Warhol, Francesco Clemente, Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf, and finally, Sampling and scratching. Music, words and collage, their sources of inspiration.

Moises y los egipcios, 1982.

 

His artistic perspective, in which Basquiat fit their entire universe, African-American history, his musical tastes, jazz, street drugs, friends, sports, news, through symbols, text, shapes and images Sometimes seemingly unrelated ... it continues to inspire many current artists and continues to pose to the viewer an invitation to think critically about the world around us.

Los seis de Crimea, 1982.

El hombre de Nápoles, 1982.

 

 


ART MADRID’ 26: 21 YEARS OF CONTEMPORARY ART


Discover all the information about the artists and galleries participating in the 21st edition of Art Madrid. The catalog features a curated selection of the works presented in this edition, along with the most relevant details of the event, making it an essential tool for engaging with the fair’s key figures and exploring the defining elements of today’s art scene.


In 2026, Art Madrid celebrates its 21st edition, further establishing itself as a leading event within Spain’s cultural sector. From March 4 to 8, the Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles will once again become a meeting point for galleries, collectors, artists, and contemporary art enthusiasts.


Over the past twenty-one years, the fair has evolved into a dynamic and ever-expanding platform, fostering diversity in artistic languages, techniques, and discourses. In this edition, the Galleries Program brings together around 35 exhibitors from more than seven countries, offering a representative overview of the most recent developments in contemporary creation.


The Art Madrid ’26 catalog serves as a key publication for discovering the work of this edition’s galleries and artists —marked by experimentation and a plurality of perspectives— while also documenting the conceptual axes that shape the fair. As part of the Parallel Program, INHABITING THE EPHEMERAL: A Reflection on the “Species” of Spaces proposes a reflection on space, relationships, and shared experience, expanding the understanding of the fair beyond its commercial dimension and highlighting its cultural and experiential significance.


In addition, the catalog presents the initiatives that complete the program, such as the Open Booth dedicated to emerging creation, the Nebrija Space in collaboration with Nebrija University, the Performance Series “Open Infinite. What the Body Remembers,” the One Shot Collectors Program, and the Patronage Program, reaffirming the fair’s commitment to supporting, mediating, and accompanying contemporary art at every stage.

We invite you to discover more about Art Madrid ’26 through the catalog of its 21st edition — a publication that, beyond serving as documentary memory, becomes a cartography of the present artistic moment and an open door to new ways of inhabiting contemporary art.