In our diverse and full of possibilities world, it is not surprising that artists explore different disciplines and jump from one speciality to another depending on the language that best suits their expressive needs at all times. This has been the story of Eamonn Doyle, to whom the Mapfre Foundation dedicates an exhibition that includes the highlights of his short but brilliant career as a photographer.

Eamonn Doyle, ON (series) nº 1, 2014 © Eamonn Doyle, courtesy Michael Hoppen Gallery

Eamonn Doyle began his career in the art world with painting studies and later on photography, between 1987 and 1991. However, after some initial trips in which he tried to develop as a reporter photographer, in 1994 he left the camera and dedicated entirely to music. For twenty years he worked as an editor and music promoter, which led him to travel the world while organising festivals or recording albums. But six years ago, he decided to retake the photograph, becoming in record time one of the most recognised contemporary photographers.

His previous career, however, has an essential influence on his work. The cultural movements of the last decades, which run in parallel to music, along with his passion for literature, clearly appear in his images. In this context, his hometown, Dublin, gains a unique presence, revealing his urban life and the pulse of the new generations soaked in the socio-political context of the moment.

Eamonn Doyle, "Untitled 28", 2013, © Eamonn Doyle, courtesy Michael Hoppen Gallery

One of his best-known works is the "Dublin trilogy", with the series i, ON and End. To these is added another famous project: K, focused on spectral images that the photographer took in Ireland and Spain. His work characterises by urban ambience in edged frames that force the viewer's point of view. The absence of straight cuts, the abundance of angles and perspective cuts convey a constant sense of activity and movement.

That same movement is present in the K series, where the wind appears to stir the tissues and hide the figures. This concealment game catches the characters with enveloping movements, which also generate confusion and anguish. There is a particular surreal message in these images, with faceless anthropomorphic forms on inert backgrounds of sharp contrast.

Eamonn Doyle, “K-20”, 2017

Likewise, we must highlight the constant presence of music in the photographer's work. The exhibition in the Sala Bárbara de Braganza also holds a video piece entitled “Made in Dublin”, in which sound plays an important role. Doyle has continued to collaborate regularly with composer David Donohoe, whose pieces are an integral part of many of his works such as the K series or his video creations.

Bárbara de Braganza Room (Mapfre Foundation): from September 12th to January 26th.

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.