Art Madrid'25 – 17 Sol LeWitt`s Wall Paintings in Botin Foundation Santander

 

It is the most ambitious exhibition in Spain dedicated to this unique artist, considered by many as the father of conceptual art: Sol LeWitt. Sol LeWitt. 17 Wall Drawings. 1970-2015 will be from July 18 to January 10, 2016 in the exhibition hall of the Foundation Botín in Santander.

 

There are 16 unpublished drawings in Spain and most have not been exhibited since its first execution for 20 years, the seventeenth already seen in Madrid for more than ten years ago and all of them together, we speak of the principle that became a pillar of Sol LeWitt's work: the idea and its supremacy within the creative process of a work. The LeWitt himself always claimed that "the idea is generating machine art".

 

 

Organized in collaboration with the Yale University Art Gallery and The Estate of Sol LeWitt, the exhibition offers visitors a unique perspective of formal and conceptual evolution of mural drawing in the artist's career, the variety and persity of his artistic practice, forms (geometric figures, simple shapes, connected shapes, lines, organic forms, ...)and techniques (colored pencil, graphite, chalk, acrylic, ink ...).

 

The sample includes Wall Drawing 821A (March 2007), Wall Drawing 7A (July 2015), Wall Drawing 118 (December 1971), Wall Drawing 413 (March 1984), Wall Drawing 237 (June 1974), Wall Drawing 614 (July 1989) , Wall Drawing 620E (October 1989), Wall Drawing 51 (June 1970), Wall Drawing 46 (May 1970), Wall Drawing 869C (1998), Wall Drawing 280 (January 1976), Wall Drawing 386 (January 1983), Wall Drawing 110 (September 1971), Wall Drawing 154 (April 1973); Wall Drawing 157 (April, 1973), Wall Drawing 208 (October-November 1973) and Wall Drawing 213 (September 1973). Moreover, Wall Drawing 7A will be held for the first time in the exhibition hall of the Botín Foundation.

 

Complementing the exhibit, the public can watch the Wall Drawing # 499 (Flat-topped pyramid with color ink washes superimposed truncated -Pyramid ink washes superimposed color, 1986), installed in the auditorium of the Botin Foundation in Santander since 1992 and will be reinstalled for the exhibition.

 

 

The murals have been recreated by selected artists by the Botín Foundation, 15 artists (twelve of them Cantabria) out of 459 applications have been lucky enough to follow the guidelines, annotations, notes and notes of the creative process that many consider parents of conceptual art. LeWitt gave great value and importance to the creative process that leads the artwork, so many of his works, still alive, were performed by others with their advice.

 

In 1967 LeWitt published "Paragraphs on Conceptual Art", a true manifesto of Conceptual Art in which he stated: "each and every one of the steps -garabatos, sketches, drawings, models of discarded work, studies, or conversations- reflections that occur during the execution of the work, are of interest. Sometimes, those that show the thought process of the artist, are even more interesting than the final product. " And with that guidance they have been made the wall paintings in Santander.

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.