Marina Tellme. Guest artist at OPEN BOOTH X LIQUITEX. Courtesy of the artist.

OPEN BOOTH X LIQUITEX

"REUNIÓN DE GENTE IMPORTANTÍSIMA"

BY MARINA TELLME

Art Madrid'24 returns to the Art Week and celebrates its 19th edition. From March 6 to 10, 2024, the Crystal Gallery of the Cibeles Palace will become the epicenter where the most innovative and current artistic trends of the national and international scene will gather. To celebrate its 19th edition, Art Madrid presents a General Galleries Program and a renewed Parallel Program. Both proposals are aimed at enriching the presence of an event that has already surpassed its satellite season, consolidating itself in each edition as a reference appointment in the agendas of the general and specialized public.

In this edition, Art Madrid presents exclusively the OPEN BOOTH X LIQUITEX. A section that opens with the installation: "Reunión de gente importantísima" by the artist Marina Tellme.

OPEN BOOTH X LIQUITEX thus becomes a sort of fleeting home that distinguishes and makes our event a place to stay for a few days. A meeting of very important people is a work that will certainly generate synergies with the public, expanding its sense as an intelligently critical work and serving as a space for reflection, in a close and multipurpose event like Art Madrid.

Artistic practices that are born of collaboration, that promote the generation of work spaces and dialogue between the different agents in the sector, are essential to promote a turn of the screw in the transformation and renovation of the cultural fabric. The constant evolution of art demands a continuous dialogue between artists, galleries and audiences. In our 19th edition, we intend to be catalysts for this dialogue, transcending traditional boundaries and embracing new artistic expressions. We firmly believe in the capacity of art to influence society, and we want to be agents of change by facilitating the convergence of diverse artistic languages in this new edition.

"Reunión de dente importantísima". Marina Tellme. Project for Art Madrid. 2024.

The site specific "Reunión de gente importantísima", conceived especially for Art Madrid, proposes a subversive view of the context of social relations established in the art world. With a touch of humor, a naive aesthetic and an intentionality that could seem candid, the work represents a meeting of people in a VIP area as a satire or comic strip.

"Reunión de dente importantísima". Marina Tellme. Project for Art Madrid. 2024.

Surrounded by a red velvet cordon, where any spectator can enter and live this experience, the characters enjoy their hedonistic posture, differentiating themselves from the rest by the mere fact of belonging to a select club of chosen ones. However, to the surprise of the privileged, we have all been invited to this meeting of very important people. As you pass by, you will feel as if you were entering a forest, you will discover a peculiar multitude of oversized characters, fashionistas, cool people, chic, art geeks, who talk ad nauseam about apparently crucial issues - for the salvation of the planet - but we do not understand a single word.

"Reunión de dente importantísima". Marina Tellme. Project for Art Madrid. The Chin Chin Bitches. 2024.

One more edition of Art Madrid joins Liquitex to strengthen their mutual commitment to contemporary creation. The world's leading brand in professional acrylics is the sponsor of the new OPEN BOOTH X LIQUITEX (Stand D2), which will host the artist Marina Tellme.

Marina Tellme in her studio. Courtesy of the artist. 2024.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

MARINA TELLME, 1995, Almería.

Graduated in Fine Arts at the Alonso Cano Faculty (Granada), Master in Film Directing at TAI and qualified as a voice-over actress at EDM (Madrid). Her work has been exhibited at Humboldt University (Berlin), García Lorca Art Center (Granada), Bless Hotel (Madrid), Instituto de la Mujer de Almería, selected in the Art Sur Festival of Art in Action (Córdoba) or Femujer de Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), among others. Her work is the result of her passion for telling stories. Her paintings, sculptures and installations represent (as if it were a frame of an animated film) a scenery with characters and circumstances, mostly comic and naive style, but with room for social criticism; showing generational concerns such as the difficulties of access to decent work or housing, the figure of women in the art world and numerous burdens that appear in our lives when we grow up: such as anxiety, impostor syndrome or social phobia.

At the most recent edition of Art Madrid, artist Luis Olaso (Bilbao, 1986), represented by Kur Art Gallery (San Sebastián), received the Residency Prize of the Art Madrid Patronage Program. This award, the result of a collaboration between Art Madrid, DOM Art Residence, and the Italian association ExtrArtis, enabled him to undertake an artistic residency in Sorrento (Italy) in August 2025.

Through initiatives like this, the fair reaffirms its support for contemporary creation—a commitment aimed at increasing artists’ visibility and strengthening art collecting through concrete actions such as acquisition prizes, recognition of emerging talents, and international residencies.

Artists in Residence. DOM & ExtrArtis. Image courtesy of Agata D’Esposito.

The DOM & ExtrArtis 2025 Residency Program took place in Sorrento from August 1 to 31, 2025. The artists lived together at Relais La Rupe, a 16th-century villa surrounded by cliffs and centuries-old gardens, which became an ideal setting for experimentation and exchange.

In this edition, residents worked around the theme “Reimagining Genius Loci”, an invitation to reflect on how the movement of people and traditions transforms the “spirit of place.” During the residency, DOM organized two public group exhibitions: the first to present the artists’ previous work, and the second to showcase the projects developed in Sorrento.

Work by Luis Olaso. DOM & ExtrArtis. Image courtesy of Agata D’Esposito.

Luis Olaso’s work moves between expressionist figuration and abstraction, always employing a pictorial language charged with strength and emotion. Initially self-taught, he later graduated in Fine Arts and has developed a solid international career, with exhibitions at venues including JD Malat (London) and Makasiini Contemporary (Turku, Finland), and participation in fairs such as Untitled Miami, Estampa, and Art Madrid itself.

His work is part of prestigious collections, including the Tokyo Contemporary Art Foundation, Fundación SIMCO, and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, and has been recognized in competitions such as the Reina Sofía Prize for Painting and Sculpture and the Ibercaja Young Painting Prize.

In Sorrento, Olaso found a unique context to expand his pictorial research, engaging in dialogue with the Mediterranean landscape and the region’s historical heritage. The residency provided him with time, resources, and a framework for exchange with other international artists, fostering the production of new works that were later presented in the group exhibitions organized by DOM.

Luis Olaso working on his project. DOM & ExtrArtis. Image courtesy of DOM.

Luis Olaso’s experience at DOM Art Residence concluded with a public showcase of the works produced, reinforcing his presence on the international circuit and consolidating his position as one of the most prominent Basque artists on the contemporary scene.

Through initiatives such as this, Art Madrid demonstrates its active role as a platform for direct support of contemporary creation, creating opportunities for research, production, and intercultural dialogue that extend beyond the fair itself and accompany artists in their professional development.