SAFE CREATIVE:

ITS ALLIANCE WITH ARTISTS ON THE INTERNET

Safe Creative, the largest electronic registry of intellectual property online, renews its collaboration with Art Madrid. This time with Arte & Palabra. Conversations with Carlos del Amor, a series of interviews with artists that is part of the Parallel Programme of Art Madrid'24.

IThe Internet presents creators with both a competitive advantage and a number of significant challenges in terms of exposure, performance, discovery, infringement and plagiarism. In 2007, this technology-based copyright registry was created so that Safe Creative could work with artists on the Internet to protect their rights. Today, with generative AI and NFTs, the challenges multiply and we respond to creators and artists of all kinds.

REGISTERING COPYRIGHTS IN THE INTERNET AGE

With the popularization of the Internet over the past 20 years, we have seen the needs of creators shift. We have moved from a limited and local creation and production to a global and massive one with immediate needs for protection and recognition. Registering copyrights in the Internet age must be equally fast, convenient and inexpensive. Safe Creative was born with the goal of providing technology as a tool to create the proofs the artists need before showing their work.

Safe Creative offers a convenient and cost-effective online system that allows any creator to obtain the necessary evidence to prove their copyrights from the comfort of their own home, using their own computer, and instantly register all their works.

THE COPYRIGHT REGISTRATION PROCESS IN THE CONTEXT OF ARTIDICIAL INTELLIGENCES

The need for authorship verification is more important than ever with the advent of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI). Registration in the context of AI is critical for two main reasons:

CERTIFY THE CREATIVE PROCESS

The first has to do with the future need for artists to be able to prove that they, and not a Generative Artificial Intelligence, created a particular work: We are only seeing the beginning of Generative Artificial Intelligences, and they will continue to improve over time. Being able to certify the creative process using Safe Creative will be critical to document that the work was, in fact, created by a human.

REGISTRATION OF WORK TO AVOID PLAGIARISM

Generative artificial intelligences are, in fact, fed by previous artistic creations. There is already controversy about the origin of the works that feed these algorithms, and some lawsuits have been filed, the outcome of which will be seen in the coming months and years. This is because they often use works not only from the public domain, but also from contemporary creators and artists, allegedly in violation of their rights.

Registering the work to defend against plagiarism provides an element to use in case it is used by one or more artificial intelligences in the future. Logically, informing of the fact of registration when the work is presented helps to deter traditional plagiarism by people who directly copy the work of other artists, and it helps to defend the copyright if the work is eventually used without the express authorization of the creator or owner.

ONLINE EXHIBITION AND SALE OF WORKS

Promoting yourself on the Internet and social networks is here to stay. Getting a name, setting up an online gallery, or combining physical presence in galleries and online are not questions of whether to do it, but how to do it as soon as possible and in the best possible way.

CONCLUSIONS

By law, rights exist when the work is created, and technological registers are the best tool to demonstrate the existence of these rights quickly and immediately, permanently and worldwide.

The artist can certify his creative process, register the work, show the work with its registration to discourage plagiarism and now also exhibit, sell and license his work. Each creator can use the tool as they wish and in combination with a physical presence in all types of galleries, whether virtual or physical, with the greatest security that technology can offer today worldwide.

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.

See You at Art Madrid’27!