Art Madrid'26 – CHIRICO IN CAIXA FORUM MADRID

Giorgio de Chirico, “Place of Italy”, Oil on canvas, 1913.

 

 

 

Giorgio de Chirico was of Italian origin, although he was born in Greece and when very young he moved to Germany, where he entered the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. The contact with great German philosophers of the moment and his comings and goings across Italy and Germany marked to a large extent his line of work.

 

 

 

Giorgio de Chirico, “The Song of Love”, oil on canvas, 1914 (MoMA).

 

 

 

The first artworks of Chirico began to investigate an enigmatic painting, creating open spaces with elements of Renaissance architecture that take us to surreal and conceptual landscapes. These creations of the 1910s are some of the most representative of this author.

 

 

 

Educative workroom in the exhibition at Caixa Forum.

 

 

 

But the Caixa Forum exhibition also includes pieces from his intermediate work and from his last years. Chirico evolved towards a more iconographic painting in the interwar period and later opted for neo-metaphysical compositions between 1968 and 1976.

 

 

Giorgio de Chirico “Ulysses’ Return”, Oil on canvas, 1968 (Chirico Foundation).

 

 

 

Chirico was an artist of enormous influence on the surrealist authors of later times in multiple disciplines, from painting to writing. Caixa Forum has also organised a series of parallel activities to learn more about the fascinating work of this creator who has always tried to maintain continuity with the rich Italian pictorial tradition.

 


ART MADRID’ 26: 21 YEARS OF CONTEMPORARY ART


Discover all the information about the artists and galleries participating in the 21st edition of Art Madrid. The catalog features a curated selection of the works presented in this edition, along with the most relevant details of the event, making it an essential tool for engaging with the fair’s key figures and exploring the defining elements of today’s art scene.


In 2026, Art Madrid celebrates its 21st edition, further establishing itself as a leading event within Spain’s cultural sector. From March 4 to 8, the Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles will once again become a meeting point for galleries, collectors, artists, and contemporary art enthusiasts.


Over the past twenty-one years, the fair has evolved into a dynamic and ever-expanding platform, fostering diversity in artistic languages, techniques, and discourses. In this edition, the Galleries Program brings together around 35 exhibitors from more than seven countries, offering a representative overview of the most recent developments in contemporary creation.


The Art Madrid ’26 catalog serves as a key publication for discovering the work of this edition’s galleries and artists —marked by experimentation and a plurality of perspectives— while also documenting the conceptual axes that shape the fair. As part of the Parallel Program, INHABITING THE EPHEMERAL: A Reflection on the “Species” of Spaces proposes a reflection on space, relationships, and shared experience, expanding the understanding of the fair beyond its commercial dimension and highlighting its cultural and experiential significance.


In addition, the catalog presents the initiatives that complete the program, such as the Open Booth dedicated to emerging creation, the Nebrija Space in collaboration with Nebrija University, the Performance Series “Open Infinite. What the Body Remembers,” the One Shot Collectors Program, and the Patronage Program, reaffirming the fair’s commitment to supporting, mediating, and accompanying contemporary art at every stage.

We invite you to discover more about Art Madrid ’26 through the catalog of its 21st edition — a publication that, beyond serving as documentary memory, becomes a cartography of the present artistic moment and an open door to new ways of inhabiting contemporary art.