Art Madrid'26 – PERFORMANCE: ENSAYOS DE DESPLAZAMIENTOS. BY JOSEFINA BARDI

RAÍCES AFUERA. PERFORMANCE CYCLE X ART MADRID'25

Art Madrid celebrates twenty years of contemporary art from March 5 to 9, 2025, at the Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles. During Art Week, it becomes an exhibition platform for national and international galleries and artists. In this edition, with the aim of providing a space for artists working in the realm of performance art, the fair presents Raíces Afuera, a performance cycle that explores notions of belonging and the need for rootedness in a contemporary world marked by fragmentation, displacement, and disconnection. Positioned within the fair as a critical and reflective space, the project challenges the individual’s relationship with their environment, community, and sense of identity.


PERFORMANCE: ENSAYOS DE DESPLAZAMIENTOS. BY JOSEFINA BARDI

March 5 | 19:00h. Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles.


Ensayos de desplazamientos. 2025. Scketch. Josefina Bardi.


The project is framed within the artist's research on her relationship with her twin sister, a theme she has been exploring since 2018. Over this time, a series of live actions and visual experiences have been developed, linked to sculptural concepts such as weight, gravity, form, and space—all in tension with the notion of duplicity. This research examines how two twin bodies connect and interact with each other, as well as with the spaces/territories they inhabit. Within this context, "taking root" is approached through the displacement of bodies, exploring the theme of connection and its relationship with distance and territory.

The idea of duplicity is explored by inviting a questioning of personal connections through the positioning of twin bodies in situations of tension with suggestive architectural spaces. The concept of space is referenced, particularly in relation to the distance that has separated the artist from her sister since 2022, a distance that conditions and challenges the notions of physical territory, time, communication, emotions, and affections.

This project proposes a series of "encounter rehearsals." The idea of encounter is understood as a poetic conceptualization of bodies situated in a space-time-place, intertwining verbs—words—and actions to create a choreography of encounters. Through displacement, crossing, jumping, and traversing the space, these actions create micro-affective architectures.

VERB / ACTION

1 WALK - DRAG

2 SEE/HEAR/SPEAK - THROW

3 STAND - JUMP

Three micro-affective architectures will be built, each linked to an action—throw, launch, and drag—through the choice of three verbs: walk, stand, and see/hear/speak. These actions will allow the construction of the piece.


Remove from the Root. 2024. Performance Documentation. Josefina Bardi.


ABOUT JOSEFINA BARDI

Josefina Bardi Prida (Santiago, Chile, 1996) is a visual artist and educator, currently based in Madrid, Spain. She holds a degree in Visual Arts from the Universidad Diego Portales and has complemented her education with a Master's in Plastic, Artistic, and Visual Education from Universidad Nebrija and the Instituto Cervantes. Her teaching career spans institutions in Chile and Spain, where she has worked as an art teacher and collaborator in workshops with prominent artists.

In her professional career, she has been the head of the ceramics workshop at Brio Atelier, production and artwork assistant for artists such as Cristóbal Ochoa, Camila Ramírez, and Sebastián Mahaluf, and has also worked in graphic design.

Her work has been recognized with various awards, including First Place in the Municipal Award for Young Art of Santiago (2024) and the PAAL residency at Zapadores Ciudad del Arte (2023). She has held solo exhibitions in Santiago and Madrid, and participated in numerous collective shows across America and Europe, including the Biennial at the Museum of Memory and the MAC Quinta Normal.



The 22nd edition of Art Madrid opens its application period. From 3 to 7 March 2027, the Galería de Cristal del Palacio de Cibeles will once again become the meeting point for national and international contemporary art. Galleries interested in taking part can submit their application until 20 October 2026.



Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Aerial view.

The Art Madrid contemporary art fair

Art Madrid takes place each year as part of Madrid Art Week, the moment in the Spanish art calendar with the highest concentration of collectors, institutions and specialist press. With 22 years of history, the fair brings together national and international galleries with a programme focused on recently produced contemporary work.


Located at the Galería de Cristal del Palacio de Cibeles, in the cultural heart of the city and steps away from the Triángulo del Arte and the Paseo del Prado, Art Madrid offers participating galleries a distinctive and recognisable setting within the Spanish art fair landscape.


Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Entrance.

Art Madrid'26 in figures

The previous edition closed with 35 galleries from 7 countries (Spain, Portugal, France, Denmark, Taiwan, South Korea and Cuba), over 200 artists and around 20,000 visitors. 35% of the audience were new collectors, with an age range between 35 and 60 and a gender split of 55% women and 45% men.


The fair welcomed representatives from more than 30 foundations, museums and collections, including Fundación Mapfre, Fundación BBVA, Fundación Telefónica, Fundación Banco Santander, Fundación Bertelsmann, Fundación María Cristina Masaveu Peterson, Fundación Carmen y Lluís Bassat, Fundación Studiolo, Fundació Lluís Coromina, IVAM, MARCO, CAAM, MEIAC and the Museo del Romanticismo. Delegations from Madrid City Council, the Community of Madrid, the Ministry of Culture and ambassadors from several countries also attended.


Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Fundación Studiolo Acquisition Award.

PROGRAMMES

GALLERIES PROGRAMME

In each edition, Art Madrid brings together a carefully curated selection of around 35 national and international galleries with proposals focused on recently produced contemporary work.


ONE SHOT COLLECTORS PROGRAMME

Sponsored by One Shot Hotels and led by Ana Suárez Gisbert (art advisor specialising in international law and the art trade, art appraiser and court expert), the Collectors Programme connects new and experienced buyers with the participating works and galleries through a personalised advisory service throughout the five days of the fair.


For galleries, it operates as an additional channel for engaging active buyers, running in parallel to their own commercial activity.


PATRONAGE PROGRAMME

Art Madrid partners with institutions, collectors and private companies to directly support artists and galleries through awards and acquisitions. At the 2026 edition:


  • One Shot Hotels Breakthrough Artist Award (€1,000): Joost Vandebrug · KANT Gallery (Copenhagen–Palma)
  • Cervezas Alhambra Emerging Artist Award (€1,000): Iyán Castaño · Galería Arancha Osoro (Oviedo)
  • Colección Studiolo Acquisition: Roger Sanguino · DDR Art Gallery (Madrid)
  • Colección E2IN2 Acquisition: Albert Bonet · Inéditad Gallery (Barcelona)
  • Devesa Law Acquisition: Kim Han Ki · Banditrazos Gallery (Seoul)
  • Colección dn2 Acquisition: Iván Baizán · Galería Arancha Osoro (Oviedo)

Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Devesa Law Acquisition Award.


PARALLEL PROGRAMME AND ON-SITE ACTIVITIES

Throughout February, Art Madrid runs a Parallel Programme of series, talks and projects that extend the dialogue beyond the fair venue.


During the five days of the fair, alongside the galleries' exhibition programme, on-site activities include the Open Booth, the Performance Series and Readings: Curated Tours.


Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. View of Daniel Barrio's Open Booth.


Communication and reach

The Art Madrid'26 communications campaign reached 17 million people across online and offline media: print press, radio, exclusive catalogue, web, newsletter, social media and virtual 360° tour. Coverage included general and specialist national and international media, with appearances on RTVE, TeleMadrid, Onda Madrid, Onda Cero, COPE, El Mundo, ABC, Vogue, TimeOut and Elle, among others.


All participating galleries and artists feature on the Art Madrid website during and after the fair, with their own profile, images of works and contact details.


Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Aerial view.


KEY INFORMATION:

Galleries interested in taking part in the 22nd edition of Art Madrid can submit their application through the online registration form available on the website until 20 October 2026.



For any queries, please write to info@art-madrid.com or call +34 91 535 87 11.