SAFE CREATIVE BECOMES THE PLATFORM THAT SUPPORTS CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS IN FACING DIGITAL CHALLENGES.

Thanks to the collaboration with Safe Creative, we have been able to enjoy the Interviews Program with Marisol Salanova, in which seven artists from Art Madrid'25 have shared reflections and creative processes of their work. The world of contemporary art has undergone significant changes in recent years. Creators now face more challenges than ever, not only when exhibiting their work in galleries and contemporary art fairs, but also in protecting their works and identity in the digital world and against the growing impact of artificial intelligence.

For this reason, Safe Creative positions itself as an essential ally for artists who value the effort behind their work, seek to register their creations to generate solid proof of authorship, and wish to protect their personal brand or that of their works and collections.

Since 2007, Safe Creative has been the world's leading private company in generating digital evidence on the internet. Through its copyright registration service, it offers tools tailored to all types of creators. In recent years, it has evolved into a comprehensive platform that not only helps artists register their finished works but also certifies human contribution in the creative process, automatically informs about reserved rights, and allows for publishing and licensing works. Additionally, it has become a reference for articles, news, and trends on intellectual property. It also simplifies the trademark registration process in various territories, both nationally and internationally, addressing a crucial aspect for contemporary artists.

The goal is clear: to support creators in all aspects related to their copyrights, style, and brand image. From documenting the creation of their works to protecting their artistic name, Safe Creative enables artists to present their identity coherently and professionally, opening up new opportunities.

Beyond personal identity, it is recommended to register the names of specific works, notable projects, or collections involving collaborations with other creators as trademarks. This includes names of fairs or residencies, for example. This type of protection helps prevent others from appropriating the name and reputation of artists, organizations, and works, while facilitating the commercialization, communication, and promotion of creations.

All of this is made possible by Safe Creative's intelligent use of new technologies. Through digital fingerprints, timestamps, and blockchain, the platform generates valid and verifiable evidence in all countries that are signatories to the Berne Convention. These proofs are tamper-proof and enhance the confidence of buyers, gallerists, and creators. The same philosophy of technological efficiency is applied to trademark registration, simplifying a process that was traditionally tedious and complicated.

Additionally, Safe Creative offers a free online exhibition space for its subscribers, which is continually evolving to become a comprehensive solution for those looking to showcase their talent and work. This space allows artists to sell usage licenses comfortably and transparently, and even declare whether they wish to prevent AI companies from using their works to train algorithms.

Safe Creative thus positions itself as a platform that supports the entire journey of any artist, content creator, or company that values their work and wants to showcase their talent to the world in the safest way possible, transcending borders and empowering creativity.

Sponsor of ART MADRID'25

From July 7 to 9, 2025, the Balsera Palace will host the First Course on Collecting and Contemporary Art, an intensive 15-hour program that will explore the complex and fundamental question of taste in contemporary art. Organized by the Nebrija Institute of Arts and Humanities at Nebrija University and the Avilés City Council, in collaboration with 9915 — Association of Private Collectors of Contemporary Art and the Institute of Contemporary Art, the course offers a unique opportunity for analysis and debate on the dynamics that shape aesthetic and symbolic value in today’s art scene.

First Course on Collecting and Contemporary Art. Avilés, Asturias

The notion of taste, intrinsically tied to aesthetic judgments and power relations, has played a decisive role in the historical prominence of artists and artworks. However, contemporary art—marked by its breaking of conventions, diversity of media and techniques, and critical stance toward traditional canons—raises fundamental questions about the continued relevance of this concept.

This course will explore how the decisions made by key players in the art system—institutions, private collections, galleries, curators, and artists—continually redefine a field of taste shaped by aesthetic, symbolic, cultural, social, and political logics.

"¿But does it exist, and what is the prevailing taste of our time—so seemingly confused, fragmented, indecipherable?" - Omar Calabrese, The Neo-Baroque Era.

The academic program, directed by José Luis Guijarro Alonso, Director of the Master’s in Art Market and Related Business Management at Nebrija University, and Pablo Álvarez de Toledo, Head of the Department of Arts at Nebrija University and the Nebrija Institute of Arts and Humanities, will bring together a distinguished group of national experts—including collectors, critics, curators, gallery owners, and artists—whose contributions will address key issues in shaping aesthetic, symbolic, and market value in today’s art world.

PROGRAM

MONDAY, JULY 7

9:30 AM Registration.

10:00 AM Course Opening Nebrija University Avilés City Council Presented by Rosario López Meras – President of the Association of Contemporary Art Collectors, 9915, and Adrián Piera – President of the ICA, Institute of Contemporary Art.

10:30 AM Course Presentation By José Luis Guijarro Alonso – Art Historian and Anthropologist, Researcher, and Director of the Master’s in Art Market and Related Business Management at Nebrija University.

11:00 AM Coffee Break.

11:30 AM Panel Discussion The Taste of Private Collecting as a Prelude to History. Speakers: Candela Álvarez Soldevilla – Entrepreneur and Collector; Javier Quilis – INELCOM Collection; José Miguel Vegas Valle – Collector. Moderator: Luis Feás – Critic and Curator.

1:00 PM Lunch Break.

3:30 PM Individual Lecture On Good Taste in Contemporary Art. Speaker: Marisol Salanova – Curator and Art Critic, Director of Arteinformado.

4:45 PM Panel Discussion The Influence of Galleries in Shaping Contemporary Taste. Speakers: Elba Benítez – Gallerist; Ricardo Pernas – Gallerist (Arniches 26); Aurora Vigil-Escalera – Gallerist. Moderator: Rafael Martín – Coleccion@casamer.

6:00 PM End of Day.

6:30 PM Activity and Cocktail Visit to the Exhibition Asturian Artists in the Pérez Simón Collection – Avilés.

TUESDAY, JULY 8

10:00 AM Individual Lecture Contemporary (Bad) Taste: Kitsch, Camp, and Tacky. Speaker: Julio Pérez Manzanares – Autonomous University of Madrid.

11:00 AM Coffee Break.

11:30 AM Panel Discussion Institutions and the Formation of Contemporary Taste. Speakers: Virginia López – Artist, Founder of PACA_Proyectos Artísticos Casa Antonino; Julieta de Haro – Artistic Director of CentroCentro; Carlos Urroz – Director of Institutional Relations, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. Moderator: Laura Gutiérrez – Director, School of Art of Oviedo.

1:00 PM Lunch Break.

3:30 PM Panel Discussion Beyond the Eye: The Taste for Ethical, Ecological, Social, or Political Concerns in Contemporary Art. Speakers: Semíramis González – Independent Curator; Eugenio Ampudia – Artist; Claudia Rodríguez-Ponga – Independent Curator. Moderator: Bárbara Mur Borrás – PhD in Fine Arts.

5:00 PM End of Day.

5:30 PM Activity Visit to the Studiolo Exhibition – Candela Álvarez Soldevilla Collection.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9

9:30 AM Meeting with Asturian Artists Speakers: María Castellanos – Artist; Avelino Sala – Artist; Consuelo Vallina – Artist. Moderator: Pablo Álvarez de Toledo – Nebrija University.

11:00 AM Activity Visit to the Niemeyer Center – Avilés.

Course Closing Ceremony.

This course is designed for art professionals, collectors, researchers, and students seeking an in-depth analysis of the dynamics that shape taste and collecting practices in contemporary art. Adopting a critical and multidisciplinary perspective, it provides a unique opportunity to rigorously examine the aesthetic, symbolic, and structural factors that underpin the legitimization of contemporary art.