The day has arrived, today we celebrate the inauguration of Art Madrid'19! Almost a thousand works of art, hundreds of artists and galleries are awaiting you in the Crystal Gallery of the Palacio de Cibeles from Wednesday, February 27 until Sunday, March 3. And to welcome you in a very special way, we reveal one of the surprises that you will find at the entrance to the fair: An impressive audiovisual installation by Rubén Martín de Lucas is welcoming you to the 14th edition of Art Madrid!

Rubén Martín de Lucas, "República #14" image, 2019.

Today, Wednesday 27, we inaugurate the new edition of Art Madrid, an edition that highlights the growing international participation and the firm commitment with young creators and the most contemporary works. Gallerists, artists, cultural agents, personalities from multiple areas, special guests and visitors will accompany us in an event where you can discover a spectacular display of contemporary art. In addition, after 1 PM attendees can enjoy a cocktail and talk directly with many of the protagonists of this edition.

Rubén Martín de Lucas, "República #13" image, 2019.

In Art Madrid'19 the surprises could not have been left out, and although sharing with all of you one of the great novelties of this year has been difficult, now we can tell you about the outstanding work that is welcoming you to the fair. Thanks to the collaboration with Sono, we have created a large video installation in which the new works by Rubén Martín de Lucas will be exhibited.

The Guest Artist of this edition is a multidisciplinary creator who, after his step as co-founder of the Boa Mistura collective, he has successfully continued his solo career since 2015. Since then, his main line of work has been the relationship between the individual and the territory. Martín de Lucas features new works from the “Repúblicas Mínimas” series, within the acclaimed “Stupid Borders” project: an exciting work to reflect on the geopolitical borders and the sense of ownership under a look both critical and poetic. Art Madrid presents this series in a new and outstanding media installation in which twelve of the "republics" of Martin de Lucas can be watched simultaneously, an outstanding piece that also connects directly with the main theme of the Activities Program of this year, video art.

Rubén Martín de Lucas, "República #12" image, 2019.

“Repúblicas Mínimas’” works are performative actions with which the artist intervenes the landscape symbolically. The process is simple: he appropriates 100m2, draws an elementary form in the chosen territory and lives in that new space for 24 hours. Precisely the last three editions of this work are those the artist made exclusively for Art Madrid, three unpublished works that will be discovered in the entry installation. This kind of action art always carefully conserves documentary material, video art pieces and photographs that become "poetic gestures, endowed with a mordant irony", as the creator explains.

The video installation that you will be able to enjoy at the entrance of Art Madrid, formed by 12 screens, has been made with the collaboration of Sono, a leading brand in audiovisual engineering and systems integration. With 45 years of experience, since 1972 this pioneering brand creates communication experiences based on audiovisual technology, both nationally and internationally. Thousands of installations, projects and events during these years evidence their success in a high level of competitiveness and always growing sector.

The Sono team specializes in the professional integration of audiovisual technology, and offers a variety of services that range from the ephemeral installation, in fairs, congresses or stages; also the fixed installation, in museums, stadiums, television sets or other types of corporate spaces; to content production. In this last aspect, it is worth highlighting the creation of interactive materials, such as 360º projections, augmented reality, 3D, virtual image and holograms, video mapping or the most advanced Kinect technology. These are precisely technologies that are beginning to have a more prominent presence in art circuits that are betting on new media, and more and more artists are investigating with the possibilities of these tools and expressing themselves through these languages.

With a wide range of equipment and multimedia systems to meet any need, Sono has made facilities for foreign institutions as prominent as the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, where its intervention in the Spanish Pavilion was highlighted, the Etihad Museum in Dubai or the Olympic Museum of Qatar; as well as on a national level they have developed projects for Fitur, the Maritime Museum of Barcelona, the “Recinto Modernista de Sant Pau”, the concerts held at the Sagrada Familia, the Madrid Roca Gallery or the Primavera Sound, among others.

Possibly, audiovisual art is one of those types of creation that more clearly requires some time on the spectator’ part, and for that reason, this "Repúblicas Mínimas" installation by Martín de Lucas can really be appreciated and enjoyed at the fair. Welcome to the new edition of Art 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.