Art Madrid'26 – ART MADRID CLOSES ITS 17TH EDITION WITH A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN ATTENDANCE AND SALES

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 '26: 21 YEARS OF CONTEMPORARY ART



In 2026, Art Madrid will celebrate its 21st edition, further consolidating its position as a leading contemporary art fair in Spain. From 4 to 8 March, the fair will bring together thirty-five national and international galleries at the Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles. Returning to its date during Madrid Art Week, Art Madrid reaffirms its pioneering role by expanding the fair calendar and offering an open and enriching dialogue in which diverse artistic proposals coexist.


Throughout its history, Art Madrid has established itself as a leading presence in the contemporary art scene. It is renowned for its commitment to promoting both emerging and established galleries, and for its dedication to making contemporary art accessible to a diverse range of audiences.

Far from being a fair curated under a single curatorial line, Art Madrid promotes diversity in its offering, respecting the identity of each exhibitor and promoting a plural creative ecosystem that reflects the richness and differences of the current art scene.


Art Madrid '25. Photo by Lucas Amillano


GALLERY PROGRAM: AN ACTIVE MAP OF CONTEMPORARY CREATION


The Gallery Program is at the heart of Art Madrid’26. For this edition, thirty-five national and international galleries will participate in a space that celebrates experimentation, hybrid languages, and the latest artistic production. The selection of proposals constitutes a representative mosaic of the aesthetics, discourses, and contemporary practices that are shaping the present of art in Europe.

The Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles will once again be transformed into a dynamic space where the exhibitions interact with each other, inviting the public to explore visual narratives that show the evolution of contemporary languages. Works that experiment with new media, formal investigations that reformulate traditional techniques, pieces that reflect on the links between technology and humanity, and poetic approaches that explore territory, identity, or memory make up a plural, stimulating journey open to multiple interpretations.

Art Madrid also continues to strive to become a platform for discovery, allowing both professionals and visitors to identify new voices and consolidate relationships with artists who are already emerging as leaders within the contemporary cultural landscape.


Art Madrid '25. Photo by Lucas Amillano


NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITORS

Thirty-five galleries are participating in this edition, twenty-seven of which are returning after finding the fair to be a favourable environment in which to strengthen connections, increase visibility and promote their artists' work on an international scene.

Twenty-six of these are Spanish galleries from various regions of the country: 3 Punts Gallery (Barcelona), Alba Cabrera Gallery (Valencia), Aurora Vigil-Escalera (Gijón), CLC ARTE (Valencia), DDR Art Gallery (Madrid), Est_ArtSpace (Madrid), g • gallery (Barcelona), Galería Arancha Osoro (Oviedo), Galería BAT alberto cornejo (Madrid), Galería Beatriz Pereira (Plasencia), Galería Carmen Terreros (Zaragoza), Galería Espiral (Noja), Galería La Mercería (Valencia), Galería Luisa Pita (Santiago de Compostela), Galería María Aguilar (Cadiz), Metro Gallery (Santiago de Compostela), Rodrigo Juarranz Gallery (Aranda de Duero), Sigüenza Gallery (Sigüenza), Gerhardt Braun Gallery (Palma de Mallorca | Madrid), Inéditad Gallery (Barcelona), Kur Art Gallery (San Sebastián), LAVIO (Murcia | Shanghai), Moret Art (A Coruña), Pigment Gallery (Barcelona), Shiras Galería (Valencia) and Uxval Gochez Gallery (Barcelona). This selection of galleries highlights the importance of the Spanish scene and its contribution to the development of the contemporary cultural ecosystem.


Art Madrid '25. Photo by Lucas Amillano


The nine international galleries participating in this edition are: Banditrazos Gallery (Seoul, South Korea), Collage Habana (Havana, Cuba), Galeria São Mamede (Lisbon, Portugal), Galerie ONE (Paris, France), KANT Gallery (Copenhagen, Denmark | Palma de Mallorca, Spain), Loo & Lou Gallery (Paris, France), Nuno Sacramento Arte Contemporânea (Ílhavo, Portugal), Trema Arte Contemporânea (Lisbon, Portugal) and Yiri Arts (Taipei, Taiwan). Their participation broadens the fair's international reach, promoting creative and conceptual exchange between diverse artistic perspectives.

In addition, eight new galleries have been added to the list of exhibitors:

Banditrazos Gallery (Seoul, South Korea), Est_ArtSpace (Madrid, Spain), g • gallery (Barcelona, Spain), Galería Beatriz Pereira (Plasencia, Spain), Galerie ONE (Paris, France), Galería Sigüenza (Sigüenza, Spain), Gerhardt Braun Gallery (Palma de Mallorca | Madrid, Spain) and KANT Gallery (Copenhagen, Denmark | Palma de Mallorca). These additions reinforce Art Madrid's commitment to continuous renewal and openness to spaces that are exploring new approaches to contemporary art.


Art Madrid '25. Photo by Lucas Amillano


PARALLEL PROGRAM: A REFLECTION ON THE ‘SPECIES’ OF SPACES


One of the great attractions of Art Madrid is its Parallel Program, which this time delves into the notions of: ‘Fragments, relationships, and imaginary distances.’ This approach turns the fair into an expanded space, where art, audience, architecture, and memory converge. Thus, the Parallel Program proposes a critical approach to the container of the event itself. Taking as a reference the reading of Species of Spaces by Georges Perec (Perec, Georges. Species of Spaces. Montesinos, 2004), it adopts a marked interest in the everyday, that which usually goes unnoticed, the infra-ordinary, giving each corner of the venue its own narrative value.

Another of the conceptual references of this edition is based on an analysis of Édouard Glissant's Poetics of Relation (Glissant, Édouard. Poetics of Relation; Prologue by Manuel Rebón. - 1st ed. - Bernal: Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, 2017.), which advocates the coexistence of differences and the importance of non-totalizing links, which are extrapolated to the art system, proposing an understanding of it as a network of exchanges and connections that respect the uniqueness of each cultural practice and actor.

‘Imaginary distances,’ understood as subjective journeys and affective cartographies traced by visitors, thus become the conceptual axis that articulates this program. This perspective transforms the Fair into an experience that goes beyond visual contemplation, turning it into a territory that can be collectively reconstructed, without losing sight of the paths travelled by the individuality of each voice.

In this edition, the Parallel Program encourages visitors to engage with the space and its projects, turning contemplation into an opportunity to question and interact with things that might otherwise go unnoticed in everyday life.


Art Madrid '25. Photo by Lucas Amillano


In the preview and during Art Week, Art Madrid'26 offers a range of experiences that allow the public to get closer to the creative process and practices of the participating artists. Among the returning initiatives are the Interview Program, Curated Walkthroughs, the third edition of Open Booth, dedicated to emerging creation, the presentation of Espacio Nebrija, a university project in collaboration with Nebrija University, alongside the fair’s established Performance Cycle.

In addition, the One Shot Collectors Program and the second edition of the Patronage Program are back. These initiatives seek to strengthen the bond between collectors, artists, and the public, promoting ethical, informed, and responsible practices in collecting and patronage.


Art Madrid '25. Photo by Lucas Amillano


Art Madrid'26 has established itself as a dynamic meeting place, where diverse experiences, discourses, and practices converge. Far from being a fair curated under a single curatorial line, Art Madrid promotes diversity as a structuring principle, respecting the identity of each exhibitor and fostering a plural creative ecosystem. This plurality is not merely formal, but translates into a network of practices, languages, and perspectives that reflects the complexity, richness, and tensions of the contemporary art scene, consolidating the fair as a catalyst for cultural relations, an observatory of emerging trends, and an international reference point for the Spanish art scene.

WELCOME TO ART MADRID'26