PHotoEspaña turns 20, and this edition offers an extensive proposal where the multiple facets of photography are explored: from author books to contests and, of course, exhibitions. Among such offer is easy to get lost, so we bring you our particular selection, although we invite you to take the opportunity to enjoy this discipline in depth.

The elegant Senegal of the first half of the 20th century. Anonymous of Saint-Louis and Mama Casset

We begin with an exhibition that goes beyond the traditional guidelines of European photography: the Senegalese images of the early 20th century when Senegal was still French Sudan. Far from the typical compositions of colonial air in which the environment is portrayed from a Westernised perspective, these photographs, mostly anonymous, show an alternative reality, more natural and free. Many of these images were taken by the local workers of the photography studios opened by the French displaced to the colonies, improvised artists who knew how to express a beautiful joy of living.

Where: Círculo de Bellas Artes - Sala Goya

Elliott Erwitt, Self-portrait, France Saint-Tropez, 1979

Players. Magnum photographers enter the game

This exhibition gathers the funniest facet of Magnum’s Agency photographers. Although many of them have specialised in photojournalism, there is no lack of those images that, by chance, take the most joyful side of situations. Coincidence and quick shooting, are the maxims of this collection that brings together 150 works by 20 authors with which it is intended to show a vision of the professional photographer where flexibility and humour still have room.

Where: Fundación Telefónica Space

Tomás de Acillona. The pictorialist experimentation

This author is one of the maximum representatives of photographic pictorialism in our country. His career began in the 20s, with a very experimental work from he built up his particular style. In the decade of the 30s, he already counted on a massive production that went from the still life to the portrait, from the landscape to the day-to-day scenes. A way to recover this important figure of national photography and know more in detail this style of work, typical of the beginnings of the discipline.

Where: National Museum of Romanticism

Primitive data 5-38 (2016) Photograph © Montserrat Soto. VEGAP Madrid

Montserrat Soto. Imprimatur

Video and photography serve this artist to generate a narrative around our cultural heritage. This proposal wants to go further in the understanding of the symbolic and message patterns that mark the history of art, today devoid of that previous knowledge to see in the works something more than technical and aesthetic quality. It is a critical and daring project, where contemporary discourse is opposed to traditional narrative and traditional religious painting.

Where: Community of Madrid - Sala Alcalá 31

Sebastián Bejarano. PHE Talent Award

This photographer was selected as a prominent talent among the students of the PHotoEspaña master's degree. His project "El caso 433" is a photographic-literary proposal that creates a photo-story on how to steal the Colombian treasure Quimbaya, a fundamental exponent of this cultural heritage that embraces a broad community within the American country.

Where: FNAC Callao - Preciados Street !

ART MADRID CLOSES ITS 21ST EDITION AS A KEY EVENT OF MADRID ART WEEK

The Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles hosted the 21st edition of Art Madrid from March 4 to 8, once again consolidating its role as one of the must-see events of Madrid Art Week. Over the course of five days, the fair brought together 35 national and international galleries and more than 200 artists, turning the venue into a meeting point for gallerists, collectors, professionals, and lovers of contemporary art.

Throughout its trajectory, Art Madrid has built a distinct identity, with a constant focus on giving visibility to both emerging and established galleries and on opening contemporary art to diverse audiences. Rather than being structured around a single curatorial line, the fair embraced a plural proposal, respecting the unique DNA of each exhibitor.

Art Madrid’26 presented a Gallery Program distinguished by the diversity of artistic proposals and languages, encouraging dialogue between different generations and contemporary practices. Painting, sculpture, photography, drawing, installation, and new hybrid forms coexisted in an edition that once again confirmed the dynamism of today’s art scene

During the days of the fair, nearly 20,000 visitors explored the booths of the participating galleries and enjoyed a parallel program that expanded the experience beyond the traditional exhibition format.

The Parallel Program: An Expanded Art Fair

The Parallel Program once again took center stage in the Art Madrid experience, activating the fair space through projects that explored new forms of interaction between artworks, artists, and the public.

Among the most notable initiatives was the performance series Open Infinite: What the Body Remembers, which presented a daily performative action at the fair featuring works by Colectivo La Burra Negra, Rocío Valdivieso, Amanda Gatti, and Jimena Tercero. The pieces incorporated the body as a critical device and a space of memory, reinforcing the presence of performance within Art Madrid’s programming.

The third edition of Open Booth presented Despiece. Protocolo de mutación, by Daniel Barrio, a site-specific project that transformed the booth into a landscape constructed from urban remnants and industrial materials. The installation invited visitors to physically engage with the work, creating an immersive experience within the exhibition space.

Meanwhile, Espacio Nebrija hosted the project Estancias transitorias (NotanIA SipedagogIE), a proposal by Nebrija University that reflected on Aesthetic Intelligence in the face of the growing dominance of algorithmic logic. The installation proposed a reclamation of gesture, materiality, and the time inherent to the creative process as dimensions that cannot be reduced to automation.

Lecturas. Curated Walkthroughs also returned, with itineraries designed by Zuriñe Lafón and Marisol Salanova that offered curatorial insights for exploring the fair from specific critical perspectives and expanding the visitor experience.

Patronage, Awards, and Acquisitions

Support for contemporary creation once again stood as one of the fair’s central pillars through the second edition of the Art Madrid Patronage Program, which recognizes the work of artists and strengthens the connections between galleries, collectors, and private entities.

On this occasion, the following awards were presented:

Cervezas Alhambra Emerging Artist Award Iyán Castaño, represented by Galería Arancha Osoro

One Shot Hotels Breakthrough Artist Award Joost Vandebrug, represented by KANT Gallery

In the Acquisition Awards category, several private collections incorporated works presented at the fair into their collections.

Studiolo Collection Roger Sanguino — DDR Art Gallery

Devesa Law Kim Han Ki — Banditrazos Gallery

E2IN2 Collection Albert Bonet — Inéditad Gallery

dn2 Collection Iván Baizán — Galería Arancha Osoro

These acquisitions reflect the private sector’s commitment to the development of contemporary art and contribute to advancing the professional trajectories of emerging and mid-career artists.

Collecting and Support for the Artistic Ecosystem

The promotion of collecting once again played a prominent role in this edition thanks to the One Shot Collectors program, which offered personalized advice to both new buyers and more experienced collectors, facilitating access to the contemporary art market and fostering direct relationships between artists, galleries, buyers, and collectors.

This program, together with the Patronage Program, continues to strengthen the professional ecosystem surrounding the fair and reinforce Art Madrid’s commitment to supporting contemporary creation.

Among the most notable sales were works by Antonio Ovejero, represented by CLC ARTE; Leticia Feduchi and Ángela Mena, represented by Galería Sigüenza; Idoia Cuesta and Iyán Castaño, represented by Galería Arancha Osoro; and Yasiel Elizagaray, represented by Nuno Sacramento Arte Contemporânea. Likewise, the proposals presented by Inéditad Gallery were very well received, with notable sales of works by artists Albert Bonet and Eduardo Urdiales, as well as Carmen Mansilla, who debuted at Art Madrid'26 and achieved a sold out.

The overall balance of the edition has been particularly positive, with sales reported by all 35 participating galleries, confirming the strong interest from collectors and the dynamism of the market throughout the fair. Among the galleries that recorded notable commercial activity are La Mercería (Valencia), LAVIO (Murcia–Shanghai), 3 Punts Galería (Barcelona), Galerie One (Paris), Shiras Galería (Valencia), Galería Rodrigo Juarranz (Aranda de Duero), Galería São Mamede (Lisbon), Yiri Arts (Taiwan), and Trema Arte Contemporânea (Lisbon), among others.

A Fair made possible thanks to Its network of Partners

The success of Art Madrid’26 has been made possible thanks to the support of its official sponsors: Cervezas Alhambra, One Shot Hotels, Liquitex, Universidad Nebrija, and Posca, as well as the trust of its collaborators: Asociación 9915, Colección Studiolo, E2IN2, Colección dn2, Devesa Law, Enviarte, Cova 13, and Vanille Bakery Lab & Café. The fair also benefits from the involvement of its media partners and the support of various cultural organizations, private collections, and institutions that contribute to strengthening the contemporary art ecosystem.

Art Madrid: A Future Full of Possibilities

After 21 years of history, Art Madrid continues to consolidate its position as a key event in the contemporary art calendar, both nationally and internationally. Its ability to bring together galleries, artists, collectors, and institutions reinforces its role as a space for encounter, exchange, and discovery. The fair maintains a steadily growing outlook, driven by a program that evolves each year and increasingly opens up to more innovative proposals.

Thank you for being part of the 21st edition of Art Madrid. Your support is essential for continuing to promote art and culture.