CaixaForum Madrid will open on July 17th an exhibition dedicated to Disney, where many works of this big-fish of animated films meet since its founding to the present day. After having passed through Barcelona, the collection arrives in the capital along with a program of activities both for adults and children.

With the title "The Art of Telling Stories", the exhibition rescues the origins of Disney, a company created around the passion of its creator, Walter Elias Disney, who began working as a draftsman in the early 20th century. In 1920, he and his brother decided to settle in Hollywood to launch the first large cartoon factory in the world. In those early days, Mickey Mouse was the star, but still in black and white.

Disney has strongly bet on technological innovation. In 1928 his film "The Steam Boat" was the first animated product in which image and sound were perfectly synchronised. The technicolour arrived in 1932, with the short-film "Flowers and trees". The next milestone was a full-length cartoon-film, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", which was released just five years later, in 1937.

The childhood of many of us would not have been the same without Disney’s stories. Although in recent years the company has become a giant of the film industry with capacity to acquire the production of other major labels, such as Marvel, the origins were clearly aimed at a kid's audience eager for fun and entertainment. Nor can we forget the impact of Disney on our way of understanding nowadays many classic stories that have been completely transformed to adapt to the tastes and ideology of the company. The factory was also (let's not forget it) a product of its time, emerged in full American economic boom, in a postwar period very sensitive to tragic and dramatic ends that chose to offer a rereading of the stories to become the paradigm of the happiness that they are today.

If there is something to acknowledge on Disney is its ability to create myths. Its proposals have gone far beyond the drawings with which the company grew up, it has transcended borders beyond imagining, and has created an empire close to reaching its first century of trajectory. And as a final touch is its founder, who died in 1966, around which emerged one of the most widespread urban legends of our time: that his body was cryopreserved awaiting new technological advances to revive it. A way to make the fantasy eternal.

Once again! ​ 🎂 2️⃣1️⃣ ​ 💫

Art Madrid returned to the Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles from 4 to 8 March 2026 to celebrate twenty-one years of contemporary art. Spin the wheel and we're back for a new edition! That means that in two months we'll see each other there, at the fair, at Art Madrid'26.

The roller coaster of emotions that is a whole year of work starts slowly, then accelerates until it reaches a frenetic pace. Everybody gets ready for their own "performance", depending on where they are and what their role is during those days. In our case, we go from the computer screen to the entrance of the fair, where—after a year of preparation—we know by heart the name and face of every artist and gallery owner who arrives on setup day, before the sun has even risen, to register and begin an intense week of art.

It's double the excitement ☺️ because seeing each other again that day, just before the opening, means that we've managed to organize a new edition of our event.

Leticia Feduchi. Chair with green textile. Sigüenza Gallery.

For more than two decades, Art Madrid has served as an international meeting place where artists, galleries, and the public come together to discuss trends, techniques, and conceptual approaches in contemporary art. After a year of preparation, the run-up to the fair generates great excitement and marks the start of a highly anticipated week... the most important one... Madrid Art Week (in Madrid)..

The fair stands out for placing artists at the center of its proposal, promoting a dialogue between each creator's personal experience and the public's perception. It thus consolidates its role as a stage for promotion, commercialization, and critical reflection in the sector, seeking to shine the spotlight for an entire week on the work of those who make an art fair possible. We all contribute to and help build it, but it is in the work of art—the one we admire and that has come from the hands of a person who does something with great perfection—where the magic truly happens and where we must focus our attention.

Antonio Barahona. The big umbrella. María Aguilar Gallery.

In 2026, Art Madrid will bring together 185 artists from more than 25 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America: The international and multicultural nature of the fair is showcased by the presence of the following countries: Germany, Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, China, South Korea, Cuba, Denmark, Lebanon, Spain, the United States, Slovakia, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Serbia, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Of the 185 artists, 78 are participating in Art Madrid'26 for the first time and 107 are returning, reflecting a balance between innovation and continuity. Approximately 75% are national artists and the remaining 25% come from international galleries, ensuring a diverse range of styles, techniques, and discourses.

Carmen Mansilla. The color of silence. Inéditad Gallery.

We would like to highlight that this year the presence of female artists is particularly significant, exceeding the "50" barrier, following constant efforts to raise awareness of the importance of their participation in exhibition circuits, which remains essential. Of the 185 participants, 62 are women, and 33 of them are making their debut at the fair. These figures reflect, beyond a formal commitment, the continuous and silent work that our organization carries out to promote gender equality and give visibility to new voices in contemporary art, always from a realistic perspective and consistent with the structure of the sector. In this sense, the proposal and representation of female artists is a shared responsibility, in which the role of galleries is fundamental.

Carmen Baena. The garden blooms XI. Galería BAT alberto cornejo.

And if those figures haven't been enough to grab your attention, let's talk about the works you'll find at Art Madrid'26: most of them are recent creations (2023-2026).

You'll find around 2,000 works, ranging from painting and drawing to sculpture and assemblages, with sizes ranging from small formats (7×5 inches) to large canvases (79×59 inches). The main disciplines continue to be painting, sculpture, and drawing, without neglecting photography and installation. Among the paintings, oil and acrylic on classic supports (canvas, wood, board) predominate, although the use of mixed and contemporary techniques is also evident, combining oil, acrylic, spray paint, and collage on panel.

The drawings include graphite, charcoal, or pastel on paper or panel, sometimes mounted on board, and even unconventional supports such as leather. In the three-dimensional realm, we find materials as diverse as ceramics and glazed stoneware, resins and metals (steel, iron, aluminum) for industrial sculptures, carved or assembled natural wood, and organic fragments (conifer, linden, and cypress logs) integrated with natural dyes. In short, the works combine classical, industrial, and organic media, reflecting the technical diversity of contemporary art today.

A significant number of artists are participating in the fair for the first time, addressing issues such as migration, racial and gender identities, sustainability, the deconstruction of traditional languages of representation, and critical reflection on art and its own system. Architecture, design, traditional craft, languages, and digital environments have also informed the exhibition proposals for this edition..

Ramón González Palazón. ST. LAVIO.

We welcome the artists of Art Madrid'26 with open arms because WE LOVE THE ARTISTS! We remain committed to promoting open creative dialogue. The works stand out for their technical quality and in-depth exploration of form, color, and texture. From evocative landscapes to intimate portraits and three-dimensional pieces, each creation reflects the artists' professional commitment, forming a collection of visually striking works that invite reflection on the nature of art and its relationship with the contemporary context. Because loving artists means, above all, viewing their work with the attention it deserves.

Han Bing. Family trees. LAVIO.