Art Madrid'26 – LECTURAS CURATED WALKTHROUGHS X ART MADRID

Lecturas: Curated Walkthroughs X Art Madrid.

LECTURAS CURATED WALKTHROUGHS X ART MADRID

Lecturas: Curated Walkthroughs X Art Madrid is one of the initiatives that are part of the Parallel Program of the 19th edition of Art Madrid. And it is possible thanks to the collaboration of ONE SHOT HOTELS, one of the official sponsors of Art Madrid'24.

For the occasion, we have invited the cultural mediator Eugenia Tenenbaum and the curator Óscar Manrique to accompany the exhibition proposals of this edition; from their places of enunciation, both curators propose two thematic routes that dialogue on the reality of our social context. The curators have selected a group of works from the wide range of artistic proposals that will be presented in this edition, in order to question, from a critical perspective, how alternative discourses can be built around the issues that permeate the invisible line that separates art and life.

The purpose of Lecturas: Curated Walkthroughs X Art Madrid is to explore contemporary creation as a tool to generate new meanings about the art produced in our context. Each curator has raised a group of questions that serve as a common thread to bring the public closer to manifestations such as painting; or to question the frictions and tensions that can occur between some pieces and others, and how we can connect these sometimes "invisible" relationships in the work of the artists who are part of both itineraries.

The curated walkthroughs will allow participants to approach different artistic styles and perspectives, to recognize the languages with which contemporary art operates in the context of an art fair, and to participate in a mediation initiative that proposes to activate the aesthetic experience transcending mere contemplation.

Approaching art is not only about observing, but also about understanding and connecting with the emotions that the works evoke. With this objective in mind, we propose two thematic itineraries that move away from traditional itineraries and focus on the depth of meaning and narrative behind each work, creating an enriching experience for the public attending Art Madrid'24.

TENSIONS AND FRICTIONS IN THE HISTORY OF ART. A CURATED WALKTHROUGH BY EUGENIA TENENBAUM

What are the tensions that exist in Art History and in the spaces that inhabit it? In the tour curated by art historian Eugenia Tenenbaum, the notions of "friction" and "tension" are materialized in the possible conversations that can be held between artist and work, spectator and space, art and market. Tensions sometimes of an identitary nature, others of a formal and some of a political nature, this tour aims to open a space for dialogue and reflection on the possibilities of the art market to adjust to the passage of time, to the needs of the population and to the social debates that point to a more just, diverse and inclusive future.

ABOUT EUGENIA TENENBAUM

Art historian specialized in gender perspective, Eugenia Tenenbaum is dedicated to cultural diffusion and art criticism in social networks, mainly Instagram and Patreon. As a communicator, she also works as a guide, lecturer and workshop leader on art, feminisms and the impact of gender relations on the creation, reception and dissemination of artistic production in congresses, universities, institutes, museums and other spaces. In 2022 she published her first book, "La mirada inquieta", an essay on art, and in April 2023 her first work of fiction, "Las mujeres detrás de Picasso".

Eugenia Tenenbaum.

AFTER A SUPPOSED PAINTING CRISIS. A CURATED WALKTHROUGH BY ÓSCAR MANRIQUE

Our visual reality is plagued by images that are born, develop and die at a dizzying speed, as we perceive life through screens in which a multitude of meanings are agglomerated in an almost aberrant manner. Painting today has to deal with this "pantallocracy", it has to fight its own battle against this visual monotony, and the answers are as varied as they are stimulating. Much has been said about the crisis of painting that this situation has caused, along with the preference of museums and institutions for other solutions that move away from the canvas in the search for more innovative and political proposals; however, the pictorial fact is still not exhausted, the fairs continue to claim painting and language can continue to surprise us despite being "out of fashion", a fact that in my opinion has been imposed, because as we see in fairs like Art Madrid, painting remains. To this purpose, the tour proposed by Oscar Manrique will analyze the various pictorial solutions born of the desire to renew the discipline, from an expanded painting where traditional formats evolve to other, not so conventional ones, the new figurations influenced by television and the mass media, to others that try to compete with the photographic image or resort to resources as old as trompe l'oeil to dignify human technique before the machine.

ABOUT ÓSCAR MANRIQUE

Independent curator, critic and art historian specialized in visual studies. His research focuses on an anthropology of the image, studying the metamorphoses that images can undergo in the contemporary world. He also works from an archeology of the present, interested in speaking from the residual, the everyday, or the kitsch; and ultimately from everything that historiography has discarded and that now serves to establish new and diverse readings, especially those that foresee ways to look to the future. He works from an ecology of images, with references to all kinds of culture - plastic, literary, cinematographic, musical... - which leads him to be a faithful defender of current discourses on aesthetics, understanding it as a social construction of visual experience that defends ocular desire as a defining element of being. Since 2023 he directs the curatorial branch of the Ginsberg + TZU gallery (Madrid-Lima), inspired by the ability of art to build bridges and bring borders closer, turning the project into a platform where artists, both emerging and established, can continue to create freely, expanding discourses and presenting new ideas.

Óscar Manrique.




The 22nd edition of Art Madrid opens its application period. From 3 to 7 March 2027, the Galería de Cristal del Palacio de Cibeles will once again become the meeting point for national and international contemporary art. Galleries interested in taking part can submit their application until 20 October 2026.



Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Aerial view.

The Art Madrid contemporary art fair

Art Madrid takes place each year as part of Madrid Art Week, the moment in the Spanish art calendar with the highest concentration of collectors, institutions and specialist press. With 22 years of history, the fair brings together national and international galleries with a programme focused on recently produced contemporary work.


Located at the Galería de Cristal del Palacio de Cibeles, in the cultural heart of the city and steps away from the Triángulo del Arte and the Paseo del Prado, Art Madrid offers participating galleries a distinctive and recognisable setting within the Spanish art fair landscape.


Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Entrance.

Art Madrid'26 in figures

The previous edition closed with 35 galleries from 7 countries (Spain, Portugal, France, Denmark, Taiwan, South Korea and Cuba), over 200 artists and around 20,000 visitors. 35% of the audience were new collectors, with an age range between 35 and 60 and a gender split of 55% women and 45% men.


The fair welcomed representatives from more than 30 foundations, museums and collections, including Fundación Mapfre, Fundación BBVA, Fundación Telefónica, Fundación Banco Santander, Fundación Bertelsmann, Fundación María Cristina Masaveu Peterson, Fundación Carmen y Lluís Bassat, Fundación Studiolo, Fundació Lluís Coromina, IVAM, MARCO, CAAM, MEIAC and the Museo del Romanticismo. Delegations from Madrid City Council, the Community of Madrid, the Ministry of Culture and ambassadors from several countries also attended.


Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Fundación Studiolo Acquisition Award.

PROGRAMMES

GALLERIES PROGRAMME

In each edition, Art Madrid brings together a carefully curated selection of around 35 national and international galleries with proposals focused on recently produced contemporary work.


ONE SHOT COLLECTORS PROGRAMME

Sponsored by One Shot Hotels and led by Ana Suárez Gisbert (art advisor specialising in international law and the art trade, art appraiser and court expert), the Collectors Programme connects new and experienced buyers with the participating works and galleries through a personalised advisory service throughout the five days of the fair.


For galleries, it operates as an additional channel for engaging active buyers, running in parallel to their own commercial activity.


PATRONAGE PROGRAMME

Art Madrid partners with institutions, collectors and private companies to directly support artists and galleries through awards and acquisitions. At the 2026 edition:


  • One Shot Hotels Breakthrough Artist Award (€1,000): Joost Vandebrug · KANT Gallery (Copenhagen–Palma)
  • Cervezas Alhambra Emerging Artist Award (€1,000): Iyán Castaño · Galería Arancha Osoro (Oviedo)
  • Colección Studiolo Acquisition: Roger Sanguino · DDR Art Gallery (Madrid)
  • Colección E2IN2 Acquisition: Albert Bonet · Inéditad Gallery (Barcelona)
  • Devesa Law Acquisition: Kim Han Ki · Banditrazos Gallery (Seoul)
  • Colección dn2 Acquisition: Iván Baizán · Galería Arancha Osoro (Oviedo)

Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Devesa Law Acquisition Award.


PARALLEL PROGRAMME AND ON-SITE ACTIVITIES

Throughout February, Art Madrid runs a Parallel Programme of series, talks and projects that extend the dialogue beyond the fair venue.


During the five days of the fair, alongside the galleries' exhibition programme, on-site activities include the Open Booth, the Performance Series and Readings: Curated Tours.


Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. View of Daniel Barrio's Open Booth.


Communication and reach

The Art Madrid'26 communications campaign reached 17 million people across online and offline media: print press, radio, exclusive catalogue, web, newsletter, social media and virtual 360° tour. Coverage included general and specialist national and international media, with appearances on RTVE, TeleMadrid, Onda Madrid, Onda Cero, COPE, El Mundo, ABC, Vogue, TimeOut and Elle, among others.


All participating galleries and artists feature on the Art Madrid website during and after the fair, with their own profile, images of works and contact details.


Art Madrid'26 - 21st Contemporary Art Fair. Aerial view.


KEY INFORMATION:

Galleries interested in taking part in the 22nd edition of Art Madrid can submit their application through the online registration form available on the website until 20 October 2026.



For any queries, please write to info@art-madrid.com or call +34 91 535 87 11.