Liquitex, market leader in acrylic paint, will once again participate in this new edition of Art Madrid as a collaborator through a very special project: #SomosKanva. Art and solidarity come together in a broad and admirable project led by (Kanva), International aid network through artistic creation; together with Shanga India, non-profit organization for schooling children from poor families in India; and Un Plato de Comida, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide the necessary meals at the "María Soliña" School (India).

The three organizations, together with Liquitex and Art Madrid as collaborators, offer you the possibility of contributing to a project aiming to improve the vital needs and education of children living a poverty situation, marginality or abandonment in India. Although Liquitex has collaborated in the #Somoskanva project from the beginning, donating painting materials for (Kanva), in their visit to India, especially in actions at the Uma Sankar School "María Soliña", giving them the possibility to paint murals and organizing art workshops with children -this uplifting experience was recorded in a brief documentary. Now, Liquitex joins forces with Art Madrid in a new project in which we propose a charity challenge. If you are an artist and you want to help this immense and necessary workforce, we encourage you to support the project in the best way you can: through your art.

The first step of the challenge is selecting or creating a work for the project; in the second, (4th of February-10th of March), you would publish your work with the hashtags #Somoskanva and #Liquitex, this way sharing the project with your followers. This work of art will be a part of the following exhibition (18th of March-18th of April) presented in Art Madrid's online art gallery, the Art Madrid market, where the work will be sold (under contract with the artist). Before, a team of specialists from Art of Madrid will carry out a selection process (11-17 March) of the participating works, choosing a total fifteen works that will form the online exhibition in the Art Madrid market. All 100% of the proceeds from the sale will be given to the NGO Un Plato de comida. In addition, Liquitex will select one of these fifteen works and will reward its author with 500 euros in supplies.

Liquitex, that has been innovating in the acrylic paint industry since 1955, for instance, inventing the first water-based acrylic paint, currently offers a range of intense and vibrant acrylic paints in all formats (thick and thin bodied paint, inks, markers and sprays), acrylic medium and various accessories. In addition, their products have the particularity that they can be mixed perfectly so that the palette of any artist will not encounter any experimentation limits. Thus, Liquitex offers infinite possibilities of expression in one of the cornerstones of creation, colour, something that has undoubtedly made the brand a great reference for contemporary creators.

Artists often as committed as the creators of (Kanva): Desi Civera, Nicolás Chiaravalloti and Rodrigo Molinero, who since 2018 have been working in this social and artistic action bringing the most disadvantaged children closer to art. An aspiration that they share with the organization Un Plato de Comida, founded by Antonio Valiente in 2011 to provide the children of rural Orissa the meals they need at the Uma Sankar School "María Soliña" (Pubai, Orissa, India) a school that offers free basic education and also takes in homeless children non-profit. Likewise, the organization founded by María (Neneta) Herrero, Shanga India, which their main goal since 2004 is educating children from humble families.

National and international artists such as Carla Fuentes, Thomas Cian, Anwei and Julio Linares, have united with this cause, creating and donating works that were later presented in a charity exhibition that raised 6,000 euros, entirely allocated to these NGOs. What about you, do you want to be a part of #SomosKanva?

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.