Art Madrid celebrates its 15th edition with the sponsorship of Royal Bliss a festive and transformative proposal to celebrate art in all its glory.

The Crystal Gallery of the Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid becomes a experiential space and artistic transformation to promote art in all its forms and styles. From Art Madrid'20 we want the public to enjoy a complete event during the five days of the fair. To observe, perceive and interpret the experience of attending an art fair. What better way to do this than with the collaboration and sponsorship of Royal Bliss and their commitment to the freedom of mixing. Because with Royal Bliss you can mix as you like and thus discover your own work of art, that is Freedom to mix.

Thus, Royal Bliss trusts in the mixture of two apparently unconnected disciplines: art and mixology. Thanks to this union, the audience will be able to enjoy an extraordinary experience in the space that Royal Bliss will have within Art Madrid'20. A place dedicated to discovering the power of mixology in all its forms. On the one hand, we will have the possibility of tasting the mixes prepared with the wide range of mixers from Royal Bliss, with more than 40 shades that allow you to transform your cocktail in a versatile way until you reach the most personal result. The idea is to try and get to know all the possibilities offered by Freedom to mix, a proposal born from the need to get to know and expand new ways. Royal Bliss is committed to the liberalization of the mix, ensuring a good result when you risk transforming and exploring the path.

The direct artistic intervention could not be absent from this space. We materialized together the initial point which the union of Royal Bliss with Art Madrid takes place: to develop art in all its forms and styles, to investigate artistic expression and to demonstrate that art can be found in diverse places, from a canvas to a glass. To this effect, Royal Bliss presents five artists who will make their own interpretation of the painting "The Red Dog" by Paul Gauguin. Five paintings painted by the artists Alex de Marcos, Elena Gual, María Herreros, Sr García and Toni Ferrer. The final result will be the joint representation with the consecutive exhibition of the five versions made from the own interpretation of each artist. A great work of art based on the transformation and the mixture of the styles and personal visions of the artists. The development of the works will take place during the five days of the fair to accompany and star in this space from beginning to end.

The freedom to inspire, create and explore, to transform and mix are the foundations of Art Madrid and also of Royal Bliss. From observing a painting to enjoying and sharing a cocktail are part of this complete artistic experience. Not two editions of Art Madrid are the same. We are committed to change and development in contemporary art with a different staging alongside Royal Bliss so that each attendee gets a unique and personal experience from their visit. On February 26th, the great festival of art begins in the heart of Madrid.

Buying the first work of art always instils respect. A difficult feeling to define that mixes vertigo with adrenaline. But over uncertainty and caution, a pleasurable sense of connection, understanding, and desire prevails. That work that, once seen, stays in the mind, reappears in the memory several times a day and seems to tell you that it is willing to be part of your home, is the perfect candidate to make the decision.

In the first steps, many collectors do point out that one does not start from an established plan, but rather that one acquires pieces based on taste and the connection one feels with them until, after time, they realise that the volume of works that accumulates can be labelled as a "collection". For example, this is how Alicia Aza explains it:

“I was not aware that I was collecting until many years later when a third party named me as a collector and talked about my collection. In 2005, I became aware of what collecting means and decided to articulate a collection with an identity of criteria and formats”.

Marcos Martín Blanco, co-founder, with his wife Elena Rueda, of the MER Collection, shares this same opinion:

“Collecting has been a passion, driven by a visceral state that encourages you to do so. The collection, in terms of acquisitions, has not been particularly complicated because, let's face it: it is easy to buy because they are all beautiful things and you have some clear idea of where you want to go, but at first those preferences were not so clear. It is with the time that a criterion is being formed”.

It is not always this way, of course, but for the buyer who starts out on this path, the personal connection that entails the first piece is essential. There it is the germ of a lasting relationship that is not limited to a simple aesthetic question but is an open window to knowledge, to exploration, to a world that is often unknown to us and awakens our fascination. The seed of that connection is purely sentimental, and it is precisely this impulse that determines the first acquisitions. The first piece is never forgotten.

Art Madrid'20, photo by Ana Maqueda

Exceeding the usual recommendations made by advisers and agents, rare is the occasion when the art lover decides to buy by pure investment. These paths usually open later, when the volume of pieces is large enough. In addition, there are those who are a bit against this classic concept of the traditional collector, approached from an eccentric, elitist and little accessible vision. On the contrary, art buyers are, above all, art lovers, sentient beings and permeable to creative stimulus who, at a given moment, decide to deepen the relationship they already have with art to take a piece home.

It is not that hard to overcome that small psychological barrier that turns the visitor into a buyer if one approaches the matter from a more personal and intimate perspective than from social consideration. Small-format works, graphic work or serial photography are of great help for this, whose price range, generally more affordable, allows a closer comparison to the daily basis expenses. In this way, the purchase of art falls within the range of feasible activities and becomes something close and possible.

Art Madrid'20, photo by Marc Cisneros

At that moment, a different relationship with art begins, based on pure experience and coexistence with the acquired piece. Perhaps it can be seen as an act of daring, but on many occasions, it is more a matter of necessity and transformation. Collectors also agree that the acquisition of an artwork is an exercise on personal analysis and opening up to a new field of knowledge that was previously alien to us. Alicia Aza explains that the reason she acquired her first piece of video art, by Sergio Prego, is because she did not understand it and because she saw it as a challenge and an opportunity to self-improve. This open window to knowledge creates new connections and bonds with creators, as one of the most fascinating parts of the process. Candela Álvarez Soldevilla explains that

"I think the most interesting thing in the art world is talking to artists. They are people with a special sensitivity to listen and understand.”

And Alicia Aza also says:

"I can share the satisfaction of being able to count on many artists in my circle of close friends today, and that is a long way to go."

Thus, with works that seem acceptable within the horizon of expenses that each one considers affordable, it is easy to find a piece that catches us. Since then, our home also evolves into a space in which art has a permanent place and presence, and there is no doubt that this transforms us inside.

Art Madrid'20, photo by Henar Herguera

Jaime Sordo, owner of Los Bragales collection and founder of the 9915 Contemporary Art Collectors Association, has always defined his relationship with art as a true passion and a vital necessity. For buyers who start on this path, he has the following recommendation:

“It is an essential condition that they feel the need to live with their passion to enjoy the works. Another very important aspect is that before making decisions for purchases, they are informed, so it is necessary to read specialised newspapers and books, visit exhibitions and museums and a lot of contact with galleries, which is an important and very specific source of information of the artists they represent. Finally, the presence in national and international art fairs. All this generates information and training.”

Indeed, fairs have become a good place for discovery because they condense a wide offer and allow diverse and global contact in a concentrated way. For this reason, many new generation buyers start in the context of an event such as Art Madrid, whose closeness and quality constitute a unique opportunity to meet, soak up and feed the passion for art.

(*) quotes taken from various interviews published in public media between 2013 and 2019.