Art Madrid'25 – Art to look at through a magnifying glass

Dalton Ghetti.

 

 

 

When pencils are not used for drawing, but as the raw material to carving. This is the work of Dalton Ghetti, a Brazilian carpenter that devotes his free time to work on pencils up to create these objects in miniature with which, no doubt, we won’t feel like sharpening them.

 

 

 

Dalton Ghetti.

 

 

 

Contrary to what one might think due to the little size of these pieces, Dalton invests in each of them an average time of two to three months, and even more in some of them. He got interested in this format when he was 25, though by then he counted on some experience as a sculptor. As he himself states: “One day, I took a pencil and I started to carve its point. The idea is to raise the attention of people towards little things. What’s little, is beautiful…”

 

 

 

 

Ant-Man (work for Marvel, London, 2015).

 

 

 

Slinkachu is a British artist that decided to make of the urban landscape his particular creation studio where he sets his universes in miniature. Despite the apparent contradiction between the dimensions of streets and buildings and his pieces, the result is fantastic.

 

 

 

Slinkachu.

 

 

 

Since 2006, Slinkachu tirelessly recreates tiny sceneries. His work of photography was included in the books Little People in the City (2009), Big Bad City (2010) and Global Model Village (2012).

 

 

Tatsuya Tanaka.

 

 

 

The Japanese artist Tatsuya Tanaka works since 2011 in creating a calendar with a daily image in miniature, where he reproduces scenes from everyday life, many times with a humour touch. As he explains, many of us share thoughts about how some little elements of common life seem like other things, such as the broccoli looks similar to a thick tree.

 

 

 

Tatsuya Tanaka.

 

 

 

This artist wanted to put together a catalogue of images to take advantage of these thoughts with a radical change of scale. The project is entitled Miniature Calendar.

 

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.