Art Madrid, sponsored by One Shot Hotels, launches: "One Shot Collectors", a Collectors Program integrated into the heart of the fair with the commitment to continue building bridges to bring the public closer to contemporary art. One Shot Hotels is a young chain of boutique hotels with meticulous design and an unbeatable location in the center of Madrid, Valencia, Sevilla, Barcelona, San Sebastián and Oporto.

The interest in collecting art can become a true passion based on various criteria, be they historical-artistic, aesthetic, emotional, social or economic. All of them result in an aesthetic and personal exercise. Owning art is experiential, from meeting the artist to understanding and sharing the discourse behind the work. Building a collection is also a way to invest in something tangible and secure that could offer significant payback in the future. But above all, it is an essential support for the creative economy.

An art collection is something that must evolve gradually, that must be built over time, always based on information according to our interests. The main thing is to enjoy the experience of seeing art, not to be intimidated, and to trust our taste. But how do we decide what to focus on and which direction to go? Where do we start? How do we relate one purchase to the next?

A good acquisition occurs by following one's tastes, learning to recognize what attracts and interests us, while informing ourselves before and during the purchase. Collecting can be an emotional journey, one of knowledge with a social or economic background, or simply an aesthetic and personal exercise. That is why the accompaniment of an advisor when acquiring art is always a clear point, just as it is to have the endorsement of a gallery that supports and legitimizes the work of art.

© Photo by Christian Monsalve. Courtesy from TOO MANY FLASH

The professional advice of an expert is a "safe" and coherent way of deciding the collector, in addition to promoting and maximizing the quality and value of his collection, also seeks to enrich the shopping experience and its enjoyment. For this, in this edition of Art Madrid, we will have a space for advice by Ana Suárez Gisbert, Art Advisor, Law Degree, and Expert Appraiser with extensive experience in the art market. This advisory service is designed for experienced collectors, those looking for their first collector's item, and even corporate collectors looking to reflect their brand values ​​in an art collection. Thus, the Art Madrid'23 collecting program considers the different profiles, needs, and preferences, by generating a personalized tour and orientation.

Whether due to lack of time or desire to receive professional guidance, our Art Advisor will be able to find and prepare a selection of works of art according to the requirements and budget of each buyer, as well as help negotiate the acquisition of a construction site.

Collecting can start from a desire for knowledge and exploration at an aesthetic, social, economic, or even business level. At Art Madrid, we encourage collecting for those people and companies that want to bet on patronage and investment. This initiative is aimed at both professionals in the sector and lovers of contemporary art who are thinking of starting collecting or continuing to build their collection. Art Madrid offers a wide range of possibilities when it comes to acquiring works from disciplines such as: photography, painting, sculpture or installation, within a wide range of prices.

The advisory service is part of the "One Shot Collectors" program and is free for those who request it with prior registration. Request more information via email vip@art-madrid.com

The work of Julian Manzelli (Chu) (Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1974) is situated within a field of research in which art adopts methodologies close to scientific thinking without renouncing its poetic and speculative dimension. His practice is structured as an open process of experimentation, in which the studio functions as a laboratory: a space for trial, error, and verification, oriented less toward the attainment of certainties than toward the production of new forms of perception. In this sense, his work enters into dialogue with an epistemology of uncertainty, akin to philosophical traditions that understand knowledge as a process of becoming rather than closure.

Manzelli explores interstitial zones, understood as spaces of transit and transformation. These ambiguous areas are not presented as undefined but as potential—sites where categories dissolve, allowing the emergence of hybrid, almost alchemical configurations that reprogram the gaze. Geometry, far from operating as a normative system, appears tense and destabilized. His precarious constructions articulate a crossing between intuition and reason, play and engineering, evoking a universal grammar present in both nature and symbolic thought. Thus, Manzelli’s works do not represent the world but rather transfigure it, activating questions rather than offering closed answers.

Avícola. Escultura magnética. Madera, imanes, laca automotriz y acero. 45 x 25 cm. 2022.

Science and its methods inspire your process. What kinds of parallels do you find between scientific thinking and artistic creation?

Science and art are two disciplines that I believe share a great deal and are undoubtedly deeply interconnected. I am interested in that point of intersection, and although they are often placed in opposition, I think they share a common origin. Both involve a continuous search, a need for answers that stems from curiosity rather than certainty, and that often—or in many cases—leads both artists and scientists into uncomfortable, uncertain positions, pushing them out of their comfort zones. I believe this is a fundamental and very compelling aspect shared by these two disciplines, which in some way define us as human beings.

In this sense, both share experimentation as a core axis of their practice. Trial and error, testing, and the entire process of experimentation are what generate development. In my case, this applies directly to the studio: I experience it as a laboratory where different projects are developed and materials are tested. It is as if one formulates a hypothesis and then puts it to the test—materials, procedures, forms, colors—and outcomes emerge. These results are not meant to be verified, but rather, in art, I believe their function is to generate new modes of perception, new ways of seeing, and new experiences.

Receptor Lunar #01. Ensamble de Madera Reciclada torneada. 102 x 26 x 26 cm. De la serie Fuerza orgánica. 2023.

You work within the interstices between the natural and the artificial, the figurative and the abstract. What interests you about these ambiguous zones, and what kinds of knowledge emerge from them?

I have always been quite restless, and that has led me to immerse myself in different fields and disciplines. I believe there is a special richness in interstitial spaces—in movement back and forth, in circulation between media. These spaces have always drawn my attention: ambiguous places, hybrid zones. There is something of an amphibious logic here—amphibians as entities that carry and transmit information, that share, that cross boundaries and membranes. In my case, this is closely linked to what I understand as freedom, especially at a time marked by categorization, labeling, and a profound distortion of the very concept of freedom.

On another level, more metaphysical in nature, it is within the mixture—within that blending—that the living energy of creating something new appears, which is undoubtedly a fundamental aspect of what it means to be human. It is as if “one thing becomes something else outside the mold.” This interaction is necessary to break structures, to build new ones, to transmute—to undergo something almost alchemical. I believe fixation is the enemy. In a way, ambiguity is what allows us to reprogram our gaze and generate new points of view.

De la serie Naturaleza orgánica. Madera torneada recuperada de podas de sequía y rezagos de construcción. 2025.

Movement, repetition, and sequence appear as visual strategies in your work. What role does seriality play in the generation of meaning?

Movement, repetition, and sequence are very present in my work. I have a long background in animation, and in some way that interest begins to filter into the other disciplines in which I work. Thus, movement also appears in my visual art practice.

Seriality is a way of thinking about time and of introducing a certain narrative and sense of action into the work, while at the same time conditioning the viewer’s experience. It invites the viewer to try to decipher repetition as a kind of progression. I am particularly interested in more abstract forms of narrative. In this type of narrative, where there is no clear figuration, repetition begins to establish a pulse, a “beat” that marks the passage of time. What is interesting, I think, is the realization that repetition is not exactly duplication, and that what seems identical begins to mutate over time, through rhythm, or through its own unfolding history.

De la serie Naturaleza orgánica. Madera torneada recuperada de podas de sequía y rezagos de construcción. 2025.

You work with geometric and constructive systems. What role does geometry play as a symbolic language within your practice?

Geometry is present in my work in multiple forms and dimensions, generating different dynamics. Generally, I tend to put it into crisis, into tension. When one engages closely with my works, it becomes clear that constructions based on imprecise and unstable balance predominate. I am not interested in symmetry or exactness, but rather in a dynamic construction that proposes a situation. I do not conceive of geometry as a rigid system.

I believe this is where a bridge is established between the intuitive and the rational, between playfulness and engineering—those unexpected crossings. At the same time, geometry functions as a code, a language that connects us to a universal grammar present in nature, in fractals, and that undoubtedly refers to symbolism. It is there that an interesting portal opens, where the work begins to re-signify itself and becomes a process of meaning-making external to itself, entirely uncertain. The results of my works are not pieces that represent; rather, I believe they are pieces that transfigure and, in doing so, generate questions.

WIP. Madera torneada recuperada de podas de sequía y rezagos de contrucción. 2022.

To what extent do you plan your works, and how much space do you leave for the unexpected—or even for error?

In terms of planning, it depends greatly on the project and even on the day. Some projects, due to their scale or complexity, require careful planning, especially when they involve the participation of other people. In many cases, planning is undoubtedly essential.

That said, in the projects I do plan, I am always interested in leaving space for improvisation, where chance or the unfolding of the process itself can come into play. I believe this is where interesting things begin to emerge, and it is important not to let them pass by. Personally, I would find it very boring to work on pieces whose outcome I already know in advance. For me, the realization of each work is an uncertain journey; I do not know where it will lead, and I believe that is where its potential lies—not only for me, but also for the work itself and for the viewer’s experience.