INHABITING THE EPHEMERAL: A REFLECTION ON THE “SPECIES” OF SPACES

The Parallel Program of the 21st edition of Art Madrid shapes a conceptual ecosystem where theory, artistic practice, and shared experience converge, transforming the exhibition space into a territory for critical reflection and symbolic production. This initiative establishes the fair as an ephemeral organism capable of hosting multiple layers of meaning, where every architectural element, every artwork, and every movement of the public takes part in the collective construction of sense.

The theoretical foundation of this edition rests on two complementary conceptual pillars: the attention to the infra-ordinary proposed by Georges Perec in Species of Spaces and Édouard Glissant’s Poetics of Relation . On the one hand, the reflection follows Perec’s invitation to pause and focus on what usually goes unnoticed: the everyday details that shape the deep texture of our experience. Applied to the context of an art fair, this fragmented gaze reveals every wall, corridor, and booth as a micro-space of meaning, a narrative unit within a constantly evolving choral story. The fair thus emerges as a temporary archive that only reaches its full potential through the interaction of those who inhabit it, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary through the very act of attention.

Francisco Pereira Coutinho. Prism. 2024. Photograph. Galeria Sâo Mamede.

Glissant, for his part, contributes an ethics of diversity and interdependence that is especially relevant in the contemporary context. His Poetics of Relation proposes that each element maintains its irreducible singularity without demanding complete understanding or reduction to known categories, while at the same time being transformed through its relations with others. This relational conception underpins the curatorial structure of the program, fostering encounters, frictions, and dialogues that expand our understanding of contemporary art as a shared, non-linear experience. The fair ceases to be a homogeneous whole and becomes instead a space of coexistence, where the opacity of the other is respected and valued as a condition for the possibility of genuine encounter.

The articulating concept of “imaginary distances” synthesizes both theoretical frameworks, referring not only to physical distance but also to intervals of attention, subjective paths, and affective micro-cartographies that visitors trace as they move through the space. These invisible distances, absent from architectural plans, form an emotional and sensory cartography that the fair constantly records and reconfigures. Each visitor generates their own map, their own narrative, their particular way of temporarily inhabiting this species of space.

From this perspective, the fair is understood as a surface of multiple inscriptions, where each edition leaves traces, erasures, and new marks. Every fragment, every gesture, every passage creates a layer of memory that turns experience into an act of relation and knowledge. To inhabit the fair, then, is to learn to look at what seems evident, to recognize in the minimal the possibility of the extraordinary, and to accept that every cultural experience is simultaneously archive and relation. The viewer thus adopts an active stance, transforming contemplation into an act of questioning and cohabitation, where artwork and public coexist within the same poetics of attention.

The Art Madrid’26 Parallel Program unfolds through a series of initiatives that will take place both prior to the fair and during the event itself, from March 4 to 8 at its venue in the Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles:

Yoon Weedong. The Sacred 62. Acrylic on canvas. 2025. Banditrazos Gallery.

The curated interview program returns for its fifth consecutive edition, reaffirming itself as one of the defining features of Art Madrid’s Parallel Program. This year, independent curator and art critic Adonay Bermúdez (Lanzarote, Spain, 1985) takes on the direction of the program, bringing his extensive international experience and his sensitivity toward contemporary artistic practices from Ibero-America.

Conversations with Adonay Bermúdez opens a space to delve deeper into the experiences and creative processes of the artists, highlighting the diversity of perspectives that shape the contemporary landscape. Through dialogue, the motivations, concerns, and dynamics that inform each creator’s work are explored, emphasizing the importance of meeting points such as galleries and art fairs in the dissemination and understanding of current art. This initiative reinforces Art Madrid’s commitment to contemporary creation, offering the public a direct and human way to engage with some of the voices that shape the exhibition proposal of this edition.

The participating artists represent a wide spectrum of practices, languages, and sensibilities within contemporary art. They include: Carmen Baena, represented by Galería BAT alberto cornejo; Sergio Rocafort, represented by Shiras Galería; Chamo San, represented by Inéditad Gallery; Cedric Le Corf, represented by Loo & Lou Gallery; Daniel Bum, represented by CLC ARTE; Iyán Castaño, represented by Galería Arancha Osoro; Julian Manzelli (Chu), represented by g•gallery; and the duo DIMASLA (Diana + Álvaro), represented by Galería La Mercería. Each proposal offers a singular perspective on materials, formats, and concepts, creating a polyphony of voices that enriches the audience’s experience and invites them to explore new ways of approaching the creative universes of those who shape the fair.

Alex Voinea. AVP 1377, Acrylic on paper. 2025. Galería Rodrigo Juarranz.

Open Booth: A space for emerging creation

The third edition of the Open Booth reaffirms Art Madrid’s commitment to emerging creation, allocating a physical space of twenty-two square meters to be intervened by an artist at the beginning of their professional career. On this occasion, the invited artist is Daniel Barrio (Cienfuegos, Cuba, 1988), who will develop a site-specific project titled “Despiece”.

The Open Booth project functions as a platform for visibility and experimentation, allowing emerging artists to engage on equal terms with participating galleries. This space is conceived as an exhibition platform where ideas can materialize without the usual market constraints, encouraging risk-taking proposals and works-in-progress. In this way, the initiative exemplifies Art Madrid’s commitment to supporting new voices, recognizing that the contemporary art ecosystem requires transitional spaces where artists can professionalize and gain visibility among collectors, institutions, and other agents in the field. The Open Booth thus fits within the relational logic that underpins the entire fair program, understood as a territory of possible encounters where the emerging and the established coexist and mutually enrich one another.

Daniel Barrio’s proposal is a site-specific project that puts history, urban memory, and the materiality of space into tension. The work unfolds as a reconstructed archive, where each element—from the iconic Belvedere torso to the wax table and pigmented canvases—articulates a dialogue between the classical and the contemporary, the sacred and the everyday. In this work, the artist explores the fragility of materials, the viewer’s perception, and the sensory experience: through handmade pigments, mortar, lime, and wax—elements that activate the viewer’s corporeality, placing them in a state of vulnerability and heightened attention. The canvases, intervened upon printed supports featuring fragments of the city, function as a poetic record of culture and consumption transformed into ruin, evoking a space that is simultaneously interior and exterior.

Marcos Juncal. After Party II. 2025. Instalation. Galería La Mercería.

Nebrija Space: NotanIA SipedagogIE

Universidad Nebrija and Art Madrid join forces for the second time to present a curatorial project resulting from the work of students in the Fine Arts degree program. Nebrija Space has been conceived to support visual artists in training during their first incursion into Madrid’s contemporary art circuit. Sponsored by Liquitex, a global reference brand in professional acrylics, this initiative represents a unique opportunity for emerging artists to integrate into and actively participate in an event of national and international relevance.

The curatorial proposal is articulated under the title "NotanIA SipedagogIE", a neologism that condenses a critical reflection on the relationship between art pedagogy, the market, and technology. In contrast to the algorithmic logic of Artificial Intelligence, this project proposes the notion of Aesthetic Intelligence: a form of knowledge that integrates the sensory, the affective, the intuitive, and the cultural. It thus advances a critical and empathetic pedagogy that opposes the automation of creative thinking and promotes a situated yet nomadic aesthetic experience.

The methodology is based on the poetic appropriation of verses as a starting point for the creation of untitled works, accompanied by a mood board that documents the sensitive process. The booth is conceived as a choral and transitory work, inspired by Madrid’s SER zones, where art becomes a space of symbolic transit, resistance, and reflection on being, desire, the presence of the other, and the temporary occupation of artistic space. This proposal directly connects with the fair’s theoretical foundations, understanding the exhibition space as a site of constant negotiation between the individual and the collective.

Fabian Treiber. Strayed.Acrylic, ink, oil pastel, pastel, and paper on canvas. 2025. KANT Gallery.

The Performance Cycle presents its fourth edition under the title "Open Infinite: What the Body Remembers", an initiative aimed at strengthening the presence of women artists within the Parallel Program. This open call is directed at creators whose performative work explores the tensions between body, memory, space, and time, transforming the fair into a welcoming space for ephemeral, fragmentary, and relational experiences that expand the viewer’s perceptual and symbolic boundaries.

The project is grounded in Erving Goffman’s theory of everyday life as a stage of modulated performances, proposing that the artists’ bodies function as performative “fronts” that shape the framework of interpretation for the public. The performances dramatize the everyday, exposing tensions between the visible and the hidden, the idealized and the effort required, while articulating strategies of presence that reveal or conceal power, vulnerability, and intimacy.

Building on these notions, the cycle broadens its scope toward posthuman, decolonial, queer, ritual, and ecological perspectives, conceiving performance as an act capable of making visible the invisible connections and tensions that traverse bodies, objects, and contexts. The invited artists are Jimena Tercero (Madrid, 1998), Amanda Gatti (Porto Alegre, Brazil, 1996), La Burra Negra Collective (made up of: Sara Gema, Sasha Falcke, Ascen Soto, Gaby Feldman, Regina Carolina, and Sofía Barco), and Rocío Valdivieso (Tucumán, Argentina, 1994)., whose proposals will transform the fair into a space of welcome for ephemeral and relational experiences that expand the viewer’s perceptual and symbolic limits.

"Open Infinite…" frames the body as a site of constant negotiation between the individual and the collective, where ephemerality acquires symbolic density and the fragility of identity and the power of encounter with others are simultaneously manifested. The series proposes an inquiry into the connections between body, memory, space, and time, understanding performance as a practice that activates critical and sensitive readings of the symbolic layers that constitute us. In this sense, the body is revealed as a living archive, a territory where the marks of personal and collective history are inscribed, and where belongings and resistances are negotiated.

Eli Craven. Soap Opera 1. 2023.Inkjet print and hand-painted frame. KANT Gallery.

Lecturas: Curated Walkthroughs

The project Lecturas: Curated Walkthroughs is a cultural mediation activity designed to bring visiting audiences closer to the works exhibited in the General Galleries Program. Art historians and cultural communicators Marisol Salanova and Zuriñe Lafón invite us to discover new perspectives on contemporary art through itineraries designed to guide us through the exhibition proposals of the edition.

These thematic walkthroughsfunction as opening devices, as tools that facilitate understanding without imposing closed readings. The curators will trace four itineraries that reveal unexpected dialogues between works from different galleries, offering interpretive keys that enrich the gaze without exhausting it.

This initiative is part of the conception of the fair as a space for collective learning, fostering access to contemporary art and creating the conditions for a broad and diverse audience to fully enjoy the experience. At the same time, the walkthroughs materialize the “imaginary distances” that conceptually articulate the edition, demonstrating that each curatorial discourse constructs a particular narrative, a specific way of inhabiting the exhibition space.

Dave Cooper. Arriving at Frederic's. Oil on canvas. 2024. Est_ArtSpace.

La Quedada. Studio visit to Daniel Barrio. Guest artist at the Art Madrid’26 Open Booth

As a prelude to the fair days, Art Madrid’26 organizes several activities designed to bring the public closer to the creative process and to the participating artists. One of these is a studio visit to Daniel Barrio, invited artist for the Open Booth project. This activity will offer first-hand insight into the context, methodology, and research behind his work, providing an intimate and direct experience that enriches the relationship between the public and contemporary creation. Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy this visit as a preview, prior to the artist’s participation in the fair.

“Despiece” is Daniel Barrio’s proposal for the Open Booth at Art Madrid’26. The work functions as a reconstructed archive, where each element—from the iconic Belvedere Torso to the wax table and pigmented canvases—articulates a dialogue between tradition and contemporaneity, history and the present.

Daniel Barrio (Cienfuegos, Cuba, 1988) has lived and worked in Madrid since 2014. Trained in painting at the Academy of Visual Arts in Cienfuegos and in Art Direction at the Madrid School of Cinematography, he develops a practice in which image and space are conceived as constructs of meaning. His work employs proprietary techniques reminiscent of fresco, using handmade pigments and supports, linking each piece to the time and environment in which it is created. He explores urban memory, migration, and the construction of identity through what has been abandoned, re-signifying press and media images as a way of resisting commodification and contemporary surveillance. His practice is a slow, reflective gesture—an act of preservation and dialogue with the ephemeral and the intimate.

Jordi Larroch. Pide un deseo. 2025. Photograph. CLC ARTE.

The Parallel Program of Art Madrid’26 is an extensive initiative within a fair model that understands contemporary art as a shared experience where multiple agents, perspectives, and temporalities converge. From curated interviews to the performance series, from the Open Booth to the Nebrija Space, each initiative contributes to creating an experience in which the audience becomes an active participant in a temporary community. The fair thus reveals itself as a living organism, another kind of space in constant reconfiguration.

Art Madrid, aware of its cultural responsibility beyond its commercial dimension, seeks to generate spaces for reflection, learning, and encounter without renouncing the art market. The challenge lies in maintaining a delicate balance between the ephemeral nature of the fair and the density of the aesthetic experience, consolidating a context in which art is perceived as an object of appreciation, debate, and knowledge.

Contemporary art has ceased to be an exclusive territory reserved for elites and has become an increasingly democratic and accessible space. In the context of fairs such as Art Madrid, which in 2026 brings together more than 200 artists from five continents, a new generation of collectors is emerging—one that challenges the traditional codes of the art market. But how do you make the leap from admirer to collector? What do you need to know before acquiring your first artwork?

The image of the art collector has historically been associated with great fortunes, multimillion-euro auctions, and inaccessible masterpieces. However, this perception is changing radically. Today’s contemporary art market offers a wide range of proposals that suit virtually any budget, from works by emerging artists to limited editions by established creators. .

At Art Madrid, for example, galleries presenting young talents coexist with those representing artists with consolidated careers. This diversity allows first-time buyers to find meaningful works without needing unlimited capital. What matters is not how much you invest, but why you do it, and how that piece resonates with your life, your space, and your concerns.

Experience in the art world shows that a collection is not defined by the monetary value of the works it contains, but by the coherence and strength of the narrative they build together. Understanding this frees emerging collectors from the pressure to succeed according to investment logic and encourages them to rely on their own aesthetic judgment and the emotional connection they establish with the works.

HOW TO START A COLLECTION

Define Your Orientation: Passion vs. Investment

Before acquiring your first work, it is essential to ask yourself what you are looking for in collecting. There are two main approaches which, although they can coexist, lead down different paths:

Collecting driven by passion is guided by emotional connection, aesthetic pleasure, and the desire to live surrounded by works that speak to you. This approach is more intuitive and personal and, paradoxically, often proves to be more successful economically in the long term because it is rooted in genuine conviction.

Collecting as an investment requires more technical knowledge of the market, monitoring trends, understanding artists’ and galleries’ trajectories, and having a strategic vision. Although art has proven to be an interesting alternative investment—especially in times of economic uncertainty—it requires patience and a tolerance for risk.

Most successful collectors combine both dimensions: they buy what moves them, while also developing a critical eye to identify works with potential for appreciation. The key is not to be driven solely by market opportunism, because art that does not move you is unlikely to hold your interest when trends change.

EDUCATE YOURSELF BEFORE BUYING

Knowledge is your best tool. Before acquiring works, take time to:

Visit exhibitions regularly. Not only in commercial galleries, but also in museums, independent spaces, and art centers. This will help you develop your own aesthetic criteria and understand which proposals truly resonate with you.

Research artists. Read about their careers, influences, and creative processes. In the digital age, most artists are present on social media, where they share daily work, sketches, and reflections. This transparency makes it easier to connect more deeply with their practice.

Understand the market. Observe prices in different galleries, learn what factors influence valuation (artist’s career, technique, dimensions, limited edition versus unique piece), and become familiar with how galleries and fairs operate.

Talk to gallerists. Gallerists are essential allies. Their job is not only to sell, but to educate, connect, and build long-term relationships. A good gallerist will guide you toward works that match your interests and accompany you in the development of your collection.

EVALUATING A WORK: BEYOND “I LIKE IT”

When a work captures your attention, it is important to go beyond the initial emotional impression and ask yourself some key questions:

Coherence in the Artist’s Trajectory

Is this work part of a sustained line of research, or is it an isolated experiment? Artists with coherent proposals over time tend to have greater projection. Look for a logical evolution in their work, participation in relevant exhibitions, awards or grants, and representation by established galleries.

This does not mean you should reject the work of very young or highly experimental artists. On the contrary, some of the greatest successes in collecting come from early support of emerging talents. However, such a bet should be based on informed intuition, not mere novelty.

Technical and Conceptual Quality

Contemporary art has greatly expanded the boundaries of what we consider “technique,” incorporating everything from installation to digital art. Nevertheless, each discipline has its own standards of excellence. A painting should demonstrate mastery of color, composition, and material; a sculpture, an understanding of space and materials; a photograph, control of light and framing; a conceptual work, rigor in the development of the idea.

Beyond technique, ask yourself: What is this work saying? Does it offer an original perspective on something that interests me? Is there conceptual depth, or is it purely decorative? There are no absolute right answers, but asking these questions will help you make more conscious decisions.

Suitability for the Space

A practical but fundamental consideration: where will this work live? Art needs room to breathe, appropriate light, and a context that enhances it. A monumental work can feel overwhelming in a small apartment, while an intimate piece may get lost in a large space. Many galleries offer virtual visualization services or even temporary loans so you can experience the work in your space before committing.

Practical Aspects of Collecting

When you acquire a work, you should receive:

Certificate of authenticity: A document signed by the artist or gallery that certifies the authorship of the piece, its dimensions, technique, year of creation, and, in the case of editions, its number within the edition.

Invoice: Legally required and essential for proving ownership and purchase value, particularly relevant for insurance and potential resale.

Conservation information: Each technique and material requires specific care. Ask how the work should be preserved (light, humidity, temperature conditions) and whether it needs periodic maintenance.

Insurance and Protection: Even if your collection is just beginning, it is advisable to take out specific insurance for artworks. Most home insurance policies do not adequately cover this type of asset. There are specialized policies that protect against theft, accidental damage, fire, and other risks, with reasonable premiums for modest collections.

In addition to insurance, consider basic conservation measures: avoid hanging works in areas with excessive humidity, direct sunlight, or sudden temperature changes. For works on paper (photographs, prints, drawings), framing with UV-protective glass and acid-free matting is essential.

Legal and Tax Advice

In Spain, artworks have a specific tax treatment. The applicable VAT rate is 21%, although there are exemptions in certain cases. If your collection grows and you eventually decide to sell pieces, you will need to consider the tax implications of capital gains. For larger collections, it can be useful to consult advisors specialized in artistic heritage, who can guide you on tax benefits (donations to museums, long-term loans), inheritance planning, and asset protection structures.

Building Relationships Within the Art Ecosystem

Collecting is not a solitary activity, but a deeply social one. Some tips for integrating into the community:

Attend openings and events. Exhibition openings are opportunities to meet artists, other collectors, critics, and curators. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or express genuine interest.

Join collectors’ associations. Many cities have organized groups that arrange studio visits, talks with experts, and trips to international fairs. These spaces facilitate learning and networking.

Be loyal to your galleries. If a gallery has advised you well and you feel comfortable with its program, maintain the relationship long-term. Gallerists tend to reserve the best pieces or opportunities for their regular collectors.

Value Beyond Price

Finally, it is important to remember that the true value of collecting goes beyond economics. Living with art transforms everyday spaces into places of reflection and beauty. A work on your wall is a daily reminder of an emotion, an idea, a vision of the world that once moved you enough to want to live with it.

Collecting is also a way of actively participating in the cultural ecosystem. When you buy the work of an emerging artist, you help them continue creating. When you support an independent gallery, you help sustain spaces of experimentation. When you lend your works for an exhibition or eventually donate them to a public institution, you contribute to the collective heritage

At fairs like Art Madrid, where proposals from different generations, geographies, and artistic languages coexist, you have the opportunity to explore, compare, and discover. There is no rush. Collecting is a long-term journey in which each acquisition is a chapter in a personal story you are building. The key is to begin with curiosity, humility, and the certainty that art, more than a luxury, is a necessity that profoundly enriches life.