Liquitex at Art Madrid'25: Breaking Creative Boundaries

Since 1955, Liquitex has been synonymous with evolution, innovation, and pushing boundaries in the world of art. With an unwavering passion for creativity, it has supported artists from all disciplines, providing them with the necessary tools to transform their imagination into reality. Its commitment to art and experimentation has made it the brand of choice for those seeking the highest quality and expressive freedom in their work.

LQX.Brand equity. Acrilic Gouache product in use.

Unlimited innovation and creativity

Liquitex has revolutionized the world of acrylics by offering products that combine technology, versatility, and a spectrum of vibrant colors. Since the invention of the first water-based acrylic paint, the brand has continued to innovate with high-performance formulas, developed to give artists the greatest control over their creations. Each product is designed to stimulate artistic boldness and allow every work to come to life with intensity and limitless expression.

LQX. Brand equity. Basics fluid lifestyle.

More than just materials, a source of inspiration

The Just Imagine philosophy of Liquitex encourages creators to challenge boundaries and explore the infinite potential of their imagination. It’s not just about paints, but tools designed to unleash creativity. Each brushstroke with Liquitex represents an opportunity to break the mold, experiment, and express art without limits.

LQX Brand equity. Sophie Derrick painting on canvas

Just Imagine: The freedom to create

Liquitex invites artists to ask themselves: what would you create if you knew anything was possible? With the Just Imagine initiative, the brand encourages leaving limitations behind and exploring new forms of expression. This concept reinforces its mission to celebrate creative boldness and provide every artist with the means to bring their vision to life without restrictions.

Liquitex paints and tools are not just materials, but catalysts for limitless imagination. With each stroke, each color blend, and every experiment on the canvas, a world of possibilities unfolds. Creativity knows no boundaries, and with Liquitex, artists can dare to explore unknown territories and bring their most innovative ideas to life.

LQX. Brand equity. Inks lifestyle.

Liquitex: Empowering emerging talent

As part of its commitment to art and innovation, Liquitex joins Art Madrid'25 as the sponsor of Open Booth x Universidad Nebrija, a platform designed to support emerging talent. Through this collaboration, Liquitex provides materials and support to young artists, offering them a space to experiment and present their works in a professional setting.

The highlight project of this edition, Bajotierras/Sobrenubes (DEL OSO, UN PELO), led by artist and professor Luis Gárciga Romay, explores the interaction between urban and natural environments. Thanks to Liquitex, the participants have access to the best tools to freely and expressively bring their ideas to life, proving that art is a vehicle for limitless transformation.

At Art Madrid 2025, Liquitex strengthens its commitment to the artistic community by supporting initiatives that foster exploration and emerging talent. Its presence at this event reaffirms its role as a catalyst for new ideas and projects, demonstrating that art knows no boundaries. Whether you're an established artist or an emerging creator, the invitation is open: dare to explore, imagine, and transform reality with Liquitex. Because when the only limit is imagination, everything is possible.

LQX. Brand equity. heavy body product in use.

ABOUT LIQUITEX

The world-leading professional acrylic brand Liquitex joins Art Madrid'25 as a sponsor, driven by its commitment to empower artists and support contemporary creation through the second edition of Open Booth x Universidad Nebrija. For this reason, in the 20th edition of the fair, it reinforces its mission to help everyone experience their own creative energy, inviting them to imagine and tell stories through art. The American brand Liquitex is celebrating its recently received B Corp Certification, which not only allows it to join and be part of a global community of companies with a common goal but also marks an achievement that undoubtedly represents and highlights the brand's long-term commitments. These commitments include artistic excellence, sustainability, social responsibility through the support of various communities (artists, workers, and local groups), and transparency in its business model. Liquitex will continue to work tirelessly every day on new projects and product development. Remaining true to its principles of innovation and quality, the brand seeks to be a driver of positive change in society and for the environment, leaving a more positive impact on the future of all.

From July 7 to 9, 2025, the Balsera Palace will host the First Course on Collecting and Contemporary Art, an intensive 15-hour program that will explore the complex and fundamental question of taste in contemporary art. Organized by the Nebrija Institute of Arts and Humanities at Nebrija University and the Avilés City Council, in collaboration with 9915 — Association of Private Collectors of Contemporary Art and the Institute of Contemporary Art, the course offers a unique opportunity for analysis and debate on the dynamics that shape aesthetic and symbolic value in today’s art scene.

First Course on Collecting and Contemporary Art. Avilés, Asturias

The notion of taste, intrinsically tied to aesthetic judgments and power relations, has played a decisive role in the historical prominence of artists and artworks. However, contemporary art—marked by its breaking of conventions, diversity of media and techniques, and critical stance toward traditional canons—raises fundamental questions about the continued relevance of this concept.

This course will explore how the decisions made by key players in the art system—institutions, private collections, galleries, curators, and artists—continually redefine a field of taste shaped by aesthetic, symbolic, cultural, social, and political logics.

"¿But does it exist, and what is the prevailing taste of our time—so seemingly confused, fragmented, indecipherable?" - Omar Calabrese, The Neo-Baroque Era.

The academic program, directed by José Luis Guijarro Alonso, Director of the Master’s in Art Market and Related Business Management at Nebrija University, and Pablo Álvarez de Toledo, Head of the Department of Arts at Nebrija University and the Nebrija Institute of Arts and Humanities, will bring together a distinguished group of national experts—including collectors, critics, curators, gallery owners, and artists—whose contributions will address key issues in shaping aesthetic, symbolic, and market value in today’s art world.

PROGRAM

MONDAY, JULY 7

9:30 AM Registration.

10:00 AM Course Opening Nebrija University Avilés City Council Presented by Rosario López Meras – President of the Association of Contemporary Art Collectors, 9915, and Adrián Piera – President of the ICA, Institute of Contemporary Art.

10:30 AM Course Presentation By José Luis Guijarro Alonso – Art Historian and Anthropologist, Researcher, and Director of the Master’s in Art Market and Related Business Management at Nebrija University.

11:00 AM Coffee Break.

11:30 AM Panel Discussion The Taste of Private Collecting as a Prelude to History. Speakers: Candela Álvarez Soldevilla – Entrepreneur and Collector; Javier Quilis – INELCOM Collection; José Miguel Vegas Valle – Collector. Moderator: Luis Feás – Critic and Curator.

1:00 PM Lunch Break.

3:30 PM Individual Lecture On Good Taste in Contemporary Art. Speaker: Marisol Salanova – Curator and Art Critic, Director of Arteinformado.

4:45 PM Panel Discussion The Influence of Galleries in Shaping Contemporary Taste. Speakers: Elba Benítez – Gallerist; Ricardo Pernas – Gallerist (Arniches 26); Aurora Vigil-Escalera – Gallerist. Moderator: Rafael Martín – Coleccion@casamer.

6:00 PM End of Day.

6:30 PM Activity and Cocktail Visit to the Exhibition Asturian Artists in the Pérez Simón Collection – Avilés.

TUESDAY, JULY 8

10:00 AM Individual Lecture Contemporary (Bad) Taste: Kitsch, Camp, and Tacky. Speaker: Julio Pérez Manzanares – Autonomous University of Madrid.

11:00 AM Coffee Break.

11:30 AM Panel Discussion Institutions and the Formation of Contemporary Taste. Speakers: Virginia López – Artist, Founder of PACA_Proyectos Artísticos Casa Antonino; Julieta de Haro – Artistic Director of CentroCentro; Carlos Urroz – Director of Institutional Relations, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. Moderator: Laura Gutiérrez – Director, School of Art of Oviedo.

1:00 PM Lunch Break.

3:30 PM Panel Discussion Beyond the Eye: The Taste for Ethical, Ecological, Social, or Political Concerns in Contemporary Art. Speakers: Semíramis González – Independent Curator; Eugenio Ampudia – Artist; Claudia Rodríguez-Ponga – Independent Curator. Moderator: Bárbara Mur Borrás – PhD in Fine Arts.

5:00 PM End of Day.

5:30 PM Activity Visit to the Studiolo Exhibition – Candela Álvarez Soldevilla Collection.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9

9:30 AM Meeting with Asturian Artists Speakers: María Castellanos – Artist; Avelino Sala – Artist; Consuelo Vallina – Artist. Moderator: Pablo Álvarez de Toledo – Nebrija University.

11:00 AM Activity Visit to the Niemeyer Center – Avilés.

Course Closing Ceremony.

This course is designed for art professionals, collectors, researchers, and students seeking an in-depth analysis of the dynamics that shape taste and collecting practices in contemporary art. Adopting a critical and multidisciplinary perspective, it provides a unique opportunity to rigorously examine the aesthetic, symbolic, and structural factors that underpin the legitimization of contemporary art.