Progress to make art accessible to the public, overcome barriers and break down formats becomes more evident when we move in the field of urban creation. This discipline evolves in the thin line that separates the manifestations as true artistic expressions or as acts of vandalism, in spite of the fact that social valuation of these works has considerably moved forward. Contemporary art continues to be the natural field in which stronger and more flexible channels of communication between citizens and artists are woven.

‘Voltagem’, by Tétis & Hazul, in Alfândega da Fé

The project "Public Art" of the Electricity Foundation of Portugal (EDP) responds to this sort of utopia, whose essence consists of revitalising recondite villages and filling them with plastic proposals. Cemeteries, power stations, barracks, water tanks ... are the canvases scattered throughout the country willing to contribute to a transformation that actively involves all agents.

'Mar', by Priscilla Ballarin, in São João da Ribeira

The novelty of this project lies in the fact that all the artistic proposals are previously approved in assembly by the people who live in the place. It is an example of a collaborative initiative that involves locals with creators and tends to build solid bridges of communication, so that mural art is no longer seen as the burst of a furtive artist who clandestinely wants to leave a mark on someone else's property to understand the vehicular role that a plastic work can have for an entire community.

Intervention in the dam Bemposta, by Pedro Cabrita Reis

João Pinharanda, in charge of this macro project, and with a wide trajectory in the museum sphere, recognises that the initial challenges were many. In the first place, a drastic change in the game of "who is who" in the art sector and in the redefinition of those stereotyped roles of the curator, the museum director, the artist and the visitor. All that wouldn't have worked in a proposal like this, where the key is to give the floor to the people and put the work at their service.

Wall by Samina and Alecrim on an electric unit, in Assentiz (Ribatejo)

Each area of intervention has a fairly modest budget that does not cover all the costs of the intervention, materials and artists, but the aim is to achieve collaboration from everybody and to articulate creative processes that involve the community. The commitment of the artists to the proposal is unconditional. And that of the host towns as well, who host artists during their work stays as visitors of honour. An exchange experience in which everyone learns and builds. By 2020, EDP will have reached 40 Portuguese municipalities.

Have you ever noticed the magnificent space that is the Galería de Cristal of Palacio de Cibeles in broad daylight? Did you walk through Art Madrid'24 under the huge glass dome? Do you remember that painting that caught your attention and you couldn't take a picture of it because you didn't want to miss anything of the fair? Would you like to spend 5 minutes in front of that amazing sculpture again? Well, you can do all this and more thanks to our 360º VIRTUAL VISIT!

We invite you to enjoy the experience of living ART MADRID'24 with our 360º VIRTUAL TOUR. Move around every corner of the fair, recover those works of art that you didn't have time to enjoy and discover an art fair in broad daylight from the proximity of a click.

Thanks to COKE RIERA STUDIO and PANOTOUR technology, we bring you the fair in detail. With more than 4,100 photos taken at strategic points of the fair, we offer you a complete panoramic view of our space and the possibility to access each of the participating galleries, get close to the works, admire the height of the glass dome and even get closer to the spaces that surely you have not been able to discover in detail.

We love to share this immersive experience with you. So the BEST OF ALL will be for you to TRY IT and SHARE IT!