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 painting of Daniel Bum (Villena, Alicante, 1994) takes shape as a space for subjective elaboration, where the figure emerges not so much as a representational motif but as a vital necessity. The repetition of this frontal, silent character responds to an intimate process: painting becomes a strategy for navigating difficult emotional experiences—an insistent gesture that accompanies and alleviates feelings of loneliness. In this sense, the figure acts as a mediator between the artist and a complex emotional state, linking the practice of painting to a reconnection with childhood and to a vulnerable dimension of the self.

The strong autobiographical dimension of his work coexists with a formal distance that is not the result of conscious planning, but rather functions as a protective mechanism. Visual restraint, an apparent compositional coolness, and an economy of means do not neutralize emotion; instead, they contain it, avoiding the direct exposure of the traumatic. In this way, the tension between affect and restraint becomes a structural feature of his artistic language. Likewise, the naïve and the disturbing coexist in his painting as inseparable poles, reflecting a subjectivity permeated by mystery and unconscious processes. Many images emerge without a clearly defined prior meaning and only reveal themselves over time, when temporal distance allows for the recognition of the emotional states from which they arose.

The Long Night. Oil, acrylic, and charcoal on canvas. 160 × 200 cm. 2024.

The human figure appears frequently in your work: frontal, silent, suspended. What interests you about this presence that seems both affirmative and absent?

I wouldn’t say that anything in particular interests me. I began painting this figure because there were emotions I couldn’t understand and a feeling that was very difficult for me to process. This character emerged during a very complicated moment in my life, and the act of making it—and remaking it, repeating it again and again—meant that, during the process, I didn’t feel quite so alone. At the same time, it kept me fresh and connected me to an inner child who was broken at that moment, helping me get through the experience in a slightly less bitter way.

Santito. Acrylic and oil on canvas. 81 × 65 cm. 2025.

There is a strong affective dimension in your work, but also a calculated distance, a kind of formal coldness. What role does this tension between emotion and restraint play?

I couldn’t say exactly what role that tension plays. My painting is rooted in the autobiographical, in memory, and in situations I have lived through that were quite traumatic for me. Perhaps, as a protective mechanism—to prevent direct access to that vulnerability, or to keep it from becoming harmful—that distance appears unconsciously. It is not something planned or controlled; it simply emerges and remains there.

Night Painter. Acrylic on canvas. 35 × 27 cm. 2025.

Your visual language oscillates between the naïve and the unsettling, the familiar and the strange. How do these tensions coexist for you, and what function do they serve in your visual exploration?

I think it reflects who I am. One could not exist without the other. The naïve could not exist without the unsettling; for me, they necessarily go hand in hand. I am deeply drawn to mystery and to the act of painting things that even I do not fully understand. Many of the expressions or portraits I create emerge from the unconscious; they are not planned. It is only afterwards that I begin to understand them—and almost never immediately. A considerable amount of time always passes before I can recognize how I was feeling at the moment I made them.

Qi. Acrylic on canvas. 81 × 65 cm. 2025.

The formal simplicity of your images does not seem to be a matter of economy, but of concentration. What kind of aesthetic truth do you believe painting can reach when it strips itself of everything superfluous?

I couldn’t say what aesthetic truth lies behind that simplicity. What I do know is that it is something I need in order to feel calm. I feel overwhelmed when there are too many elements in a painting, and I have always been drawn to the minimal—to moments when there is little, when there is almost nothing. I believe that this stripping away allows me to approach painting from a different state: more focused, more silent. I can’t fully explain it, but it is there that I feel able to work with greater clarity.

Crucifixion. Acrylic on canvas. 41 × 33 cm. 2025.

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

I usually feel more comfortable leaving space for the unexpected. I am interested in uncertainty; having everything under control strikes me as rather boring. I have tried it on some occasions, especially when I set out to work on a highly planned series, with fixed sketches that I then wanted to translate into painting, but it was not something I identified with. I felt that a fundamental part of the process disappeared: play—that space in which painting can surprise even myself. For that reason, I do not tend to plan too much, and when I do, it is in a very simple way: a few lines, a plane of color. I prefer everything to happen within the painting itself.