Art Madrid'26 – Lewis Baltz work can be seen in Madrid in the MAPFRE Foundation, in the Bárbara de Braganza showroom.

Lewis Baltz: “Piazza Pugliese”

 

 

Lewis Baltz (Newport Beach, California, 1945-Paris, 2014) was an American photographer who was first made known by the movement New topographics along with other well-known names like Robert Adams, Bern and Hilla Becher or Nicholas Nixon. Recognized as one of the most important photographers of the 20th century, he was able to impose his idea of "landscape" away from the idealized canons in which other artists worked. He used as a medium of expression the cultural line of the 60s and 70s. He was a contemporary artist to the events that surrounded him.

 

 

 

“Newport Beach” © Lewis Baltz

 

 

 

Baltz began his artistic career at the young age of 12 years old. After absorbing all the knowledge of its mentor, William Current, it took its own way capturing the consequences of the landscape of the American ideals. The exhibition, presented as an anthology of the artist, brings together a vision of his entire career. The new media era and the events surrounding him were his source of inspiration. The binomial between historical fact and simulated make the loss of access to reality is reflected in works like "Rule without exception". As noted by the curator of the exhibition "Lewis Baltz was able to create his own language, to make us see the urban landscape as a busy place."

 

 

 

View of the exhibition Le, “Sala Bárbara de Braganza” © Cortesía Fundación Mapfre

 

 

The exhibition has more than 400 photographs and is organized chronologically, posing a dialogue between the first and last work of the photographer. The retrospective includes, in addition to his first series in black and white (made in the 60s and 70s), his work in color, with works such as "Ronde de Nuit", "The Deaths in Newport" or "Venezia Marguera". The exhibition can be visited until June 4, and is curated by Urs Stahel.

 

 

 

Lewis Baltz, "Continuous Fire Polar Circle no.1", of the series  "Continuous Fire Polar Circle", 1986. © The Lewis Baltz Trust, 1992

 

 

 


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.