The seventeenth edition of Art Madrid, which was held in the Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles from 23 to 27 February, closed its 17th edition with more than 16,000 visitors, a similar figure prior to the pandemic. The fair was attended by, among others: Andrea Levy, Delegate for Culture, Tourism, and Sport of Madrid City Council; Begoña Villacís, Deputy Mayoress of Madrid City Council; several Ambassadors; representatives of museums from all over Spain; and heads of important national and international collections.

Photo by Christian Monsalve from Too Many Flash

Alberto Cornejo, director of ART MADRID, says: "We are very satisfied with the results of this edition. After these years of uncertainty due to the pandemic, we are happy to see that the public and collectors continue to respond to the fair with the same enthusiasm as in previous years". And he adds: "It is interesting to note that sales at this edition have been very important, which means a remarkable dynamization of the Spanish art market". In this respect, it is worth noting that our VIP program of advice for collectors, directed by Ana Suárez Gisbert, has been a great success, providing a service to experienced collectors and generating new buyers.

Photo by Maria Astorga from Too Many Flash

The selection of 35 galleries at ART MADRID'22 was made up of: 3 Punts Galeria (Barcelona), Alba Cabrera Gallery (Valencia), Arena Martínez Projects (Madrid), Art Lounge Gallery (Lisbon), ARTITLEDcontemporary (Herpen), Aurora Vigil-Escalera (Gijón), Collage Habana (La Habana), DDR Art Gallery (Madrid), Dr. Robot Gallery (Valencia), FLECHA (Madrid), Galería BAT alberto cornejo (Madrid), Galería de la Bálgoma (Madrid), Galería Espiral (Noja), Galería Hispánica Contemporánea (Madrid-Mx DF), Galería Jorge Alcolea (Madrid), Galería Kreisler (Madrid), Galería La Aurora (Murcia), Galería Luisa Pita (Santiago de Compostela), Galeria São Mamede (Lisbon), Galerie Alex Serra (Köln), Galerie LJ (Paris), GÄRNA Art Gallery (Madrid), Helarea (Madrid), Inéditad (Barcelona), Jackie Shor Arte (São Paulo), Kur Art Gallery (San Sebastián), MA Arte Contemporáneo (Palma), Marita Segovia (Madrid), Moret Art (A Coruña), Nuno Sacramento (Ílhavo), Rodrigo Juarranz (Aranda de Duero), Shiras Galería (Valencia), Studija Mindiuzarte/Kaunas (Kaunas), Víctor Lope Arte Contemporáneo (Barcelona), Yiri Arts (Taipei).

Photo by Maria Astorga from Too Many Flash

The Fair consolidates the proposal "One Shot Collectors", an initiative that encompasses a collecting program directed by the advisor Ana Suárez Gisbert and the curatorial route ICONOSFERA, coordinated for the second consecutive year by the critic and independent curator Natalia Alonso Arduengo. Regarding this initiative, Gabriela Correa and Nuria Blanco, directors of the Kreisler (Madrid) and Moret Art (A Coruña) galleries respectively, both veterans of the fair, point out that the collectors' program is a very beneficial service that helps to boost sales during the fair and even in the days following the fair.

The Parisian gallery LJ Galerie, in its second year at the fair, makes a positive balance of its participation. Its director, Adeline Jeudy affirms that on the first day of the fair they already sold an important piece by Léo Caillard (the artist whose work was the image of the poster for this edition), and some works to new collectors. "The fair has a large number of visitors, an interesting public that is very open to buying works at a considerable price and by artists who are little known in Spain. We have also noticed the presence of an amateur public that is very interested in the work of the artists we present".

The Brazilian gallery Jackie Shor, participating for the first time in Art Madrid, also obtained good results in terms of sales. All the works presented at the stand by their youngest artist, Isabella Despujols, were sold. Most of the sales were made to local or foreign clients residing in Madrid. Moreover, its directors comment that "Art Madrid is a fair that attracts a diverse public profile, and that is very interesting".

Photo by Maria Astorga from Too Many Flash

DDR Art Gallery (Madrid), sold works by the four artists in its exhibition proposal. The gallery sold two large pieces by the Venezuelan artist Roger Sanguino, both of which will form part of two very important collections in Spain. The acquisition of two of the "avatars" by the artist Roberto López Martín, also by renowned collectors, and the great interest generated by the work "Los refugiados en las Meninas de Velázquez", by the photographer David Delgado Ruiz, also stand out.

Photo by Maria Astorga from Too Many Flash

This edition featured more than 190 national and international artists, including young artists such as the Russian Costa Gorelov (Dr.Robot Gallery) and the Portuguese Carolina Serrano (Alex Serra Galerie), and other mid-career artists such as Kepa Garraza (Víctor Lope Arte Contemporáneo) and Juana González (Arena Martínes Projects), both national artists.

ART MADRID has been sponsored by One Shot Hotels, Liquitex and Catawiki; and with the collaboration of the Proyector platform; 9915. Contemporary Art Collectors Association; and the photographic entrepreneurship school Too Many Flash.

ART MADRID CLOSES ITS 21ST EDITION AS A KEY EVENT OF MADRID ART WEEK

The Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles hosted the 21st edition of Art Madrid from March 4 to 8, once again consolidating its role as one of the must-see events of Madrid Art Week. Over the course of five days, the fair brought together 35 national and international galleries and more than 200 artists, turning the venue into a meeting point for gallerists, collectors, professionals, and lovers of contemporary art.

Throughout its trajectory, Art Madrid has built a distinct identity, with a constant focus on giving visibility to both emerging and established galleries and on opening contemporary art to diverse audiences. Rather than being structured around a single curatorial line, the fair embraced a plural proposal, respecting the unique DNA of each exhibitor.

Art Madrid’26 presented a Gallery Program distinguished by the diversity of artistic proposals and languages, encouraging dialogue between different generations and contemporary practices. Painting, sculpture, photography, drawing, installation, and new hybrid forms coexisted in an edition that once again confirmed the dynamism of today’s art scene

During the days of the fair, nearly 20,000 visitors explored the booths of the participating galleries and enjoyed a parallel program that expanded the experience beyond the traditional exhibition format.

The Parallel Program: An Expanded Art Fair

The Parallel Program once again took center stage in the Art Madrid experience, activating the fair space through projects that explored new forms of interaction between artworks, artists, and the public.

Among the most notable initiatives was the performance series Open Infinite: What the Body Remembers, which presented a daily performative action at the fair featuring works by Colectivo La Burra Negra, Rocío Valdivieso, Amanda Gatti, and Jimena Tercero. The pieces incorporated the body as a critical device and a space of memory, reinforcing the presence of performance within Art Madrid’s programming.

The third edition of Open Booth presented Despiece. Protocolo de mutación, by Daniel Barrio, a site-specific project that transformed the booth into a landscape constructed from urban remnants and industrial materials. The installation invited visitors to physically engage with the work, creating an immersive experience within the exhibition space.

Meanwhile, Espacio Nebrija hosted the project Estancias transitorias (NotanIA SipedagogIE), a proposal by Nebrija University that reflected on Aesthetic Intelligence in the face of the growing dominance of algorithmic logic. The installation proposed a reclamation of gesture, materiality, and the time inherent to the creative process as dimensions that cannot be reduced to automation.

Lecturas. Curated Walkthroughs also returned, with itineraries designed by Zuriñe Lafón and Marisol Salanova that offered curatorial insights for exploring the fair from specific critical perspectives and expanding the visitor experience.

Patronage, Awards, and Acquisitions

Support for contemporary creation once again stood as one of the fair’s central pillars through the second edition of the Art Madrid Patronage Program, which recognizes the work of artists and strengthens the connections between galleries, collectors, and private entities.

On this occasion, the following awards were presented:

Cervezas Alhambra Emerging Artist Award Iyán Castaño, represented by Galería Arancha Osoro

One Shot Hotels Breakthrough Artist Award Joost Vandebrug, represented by KANT Gallery

In the Acquisition Awards category, several private collections incorporated works presented at the fair into their collections.

Studiolo Collection Roger Sanguino — DDR Art Gallery

Devesa Law Kim Han Ki — Banditrazos Gallery

E2IN2 Collection Albert Bonet — Inéditad Gallery

dn2 Collection Iván Baizán — Galería Arancha Osoro

These acquisitions reflect the private sector’s commitment to the development of contemporary art and contribute to advancing the professional trajectories of emerging and mid-career artists.

Collecting and Support for the Artistic Ecosystem

The promotion of collecting once again played a prominent role in this edition thanks to the One Shot Collectors program, which offered personalized advice to both new buyers and more experienced collectors, facilitating access to the contemporary art market and fostering direct relationships between artists, galleries, buyers, and collectors.

This program, together with the Patronage Program, continues to strengthen the professional ecosystem surrounding the fair and reinforce Art Madrid’s commitment to supporting contemporary creation.

Among the most notable sales were works by Antonio Ovejero, represented by CLC ARTE; Leticia Feduchi and Ángela Mena, represented by Galería Sigüenza; Idoia Cuesta and Iyán Castaño, represented by Galería Arancha Osoro; and Yasiel Elizagaray, represented by Nuno Sacramento Arte Contemporânea. Likewise, the proposals presented by Inéditad Gallery were very well received, with notable sales of works by artists Albert Bonet and Eduardo Urdiales, as well as Carmen Mansilla, who debuted at Art Madrid'26 and achieved a sold out.

The overall balance of the edition has been particularly positive, with sales reported by all 35 participating galleries, confirming the strong interest from collectors and the dynamism of the market throughout the fair. Among the galleries that recorded notable commercial activity are La Mercería (Valencia), LAVIO (Murcia–Shanghai), 3 Punts Galería (Barcelona), Galerie One (Paris), Shiras Galería (Valencia), Galería Rodrigo Juarranz (Aranda de Duero), Galería São Mamede (Lisbon), Yiri Arts (Taiwan), and Trema Arte Contemporânea (Lisbon), among others.

A Fair made possible thanks to Its network of Partners

The success of Art Madrid’26 has been made possible thanks to the support of its official sponsors: Cervezas Alhambra, One Shot Hotels, Liquitex, Universidad Nebrija, and Posca, as well as the trust of its collaborators: Asociación 9915, Colección Studiolo, E2IN2, Colección dn2, Devesa Law, Enviarte, Cova 13, and Vanille Bakery Lab & Café. The fair also benefits from the involvement of its media partners and the support of various cultural organizations, private collections, and institutions that contribute to strengthening the contemporary art ecosystem.

Art Madrid: A Future Full of Possibilities

After 21 years of history, Art Madrid continues to consolidate its position as a key event in the contemporary art calendar, both nationally and internationally. Its ability to bring together galleries, artists, collectors, and institutions reinforces its role as a space for encounter, exchange, and discovery. The fair maintains a steadily growing outlook, driven by a program that evolves each year and increasingly opens up to more innovative proposals.

Thank you for being part of the 21st edition of Art Madrid. Your support is essential for continuing to promote art and culture.