Art Madrid'25 – THE BEST ART GALLERIES FROM CATALONIA IN ART MADRID\'17

They all come from Barcelona and portray an interesting range of possibilities within contemporary art, from pieces with the unmistakable imprint of the Spanish avant-garde of the XXth century, to icons of urban art and emerging artists of enormous projection.

 

 

 José Benítez, Pavilion of Prayers, 2016. Mixed technique

 

 

3Punts gallery works in the promotion of contemporary art in its different expressions, paying special attention to the work of new creators in contrast to others of consolidated trajectory, and collaborating with other national and international galleries. The proposal they bring to Art Madrid'17 includes artists Gerard Mas, Mr. Brainwash, Ramon Surinyac, Samuel Salcedo, Alejandro Monge, José Benítez.

 

Among the artists who will exhibit at 3 Punts gallery booth, the work of the Malaga artist José Benítez stands out. His sublime landscapes of monsters, ruins and labyrinths allow the viewer to enter the personal and utopian universe of the painter.

 

 

Joan Miró, Tête, 1975. Chinese ink and waxes on Japanese paper 

 

 

Marc Calzada Gallery, founded in 1996 and located in the center of Barcelona, is specialized in national and international 20th century authors, with great attention to the classical avant-gardes. We will have the pleasure of showing some impressive pieces by Antoni Tàpies, Antonio Saura and Joan Miró, in the fantastic dialogue between masters that the gallery has proposed.

 

The Marc Calzada Gallery proposes an exhibit in which it establishes a link between the three artists, both artistic and personal. 

 

 

Ivan Franco, Untitled, 2016. Pencil on paper

 

 

Galería Miquel Alzueta combines contemporary art with 20th century architecture and design within an old 500m² factory in the heart of Barcelona. In constant renewal, international artists with Spanish artists of different generations live together. Their list of artists, in continuous expansion, aims to be a reflection of the art of the XXI century. In Art Madrid'17 the will show some the artists Bruno Ollé, Manolo Ballesteros, Ivan Franco, Lídia Masllorens and Maria Yelletisch.

 

The artists that will exhibit in the stand of Miquel Alzueta, although with very different techniques and themes in their works, are a great sample of the quality of the artistic proposals of the young values ??of our country.

 

 

 

Rosa Solano, And to show a button, 2017. Assembly on iron

 

 

Alonso Vidal, founded in 2004, has always focused on the promotion and dissemination of contemporary art in all its techniques, with national and international artists whom it supports from the beginning of its career. 


From his gallery comes the Catalan artist Rosa Solano, winner of the XII Visual Arts Prize José Mª Vidal of the Arena Foundation in painting mode, that will exhibit at Art Madrid their iron assemblies of the series "Y para muestra un botón". In addition, Xavi Carbonell (Alcoy, 1971) will present his works inspired by children's art and naif style, not only from a formal point of view, but also in the issues he paints.

 

 

Eduardo Marco, Colorfield 21, 2015. Photography

 

 

The Zielinsky Gallery is one of the youngest participants in Art Madrid’17. It was born in 2015 and represents contemporary artists, mainly from Europe and Latin America. It promotes artistic and cultural exchange between the two continents and wants to break away from hermetic projects and unilateral ideas, creating links between collectors and neophytes in the art world, bringing them closer to different cultures. In our fai we will see pieces by his artists Yamandú Canosa, Daniel Orson Ybarra, Eduardo Marco and Luca Benites.

 

Memory is a key in the work of the Uruguayan artists Yamandú Canosa and Daniel Orson Ybarra; Brazilian artist Eduardo Marco will surprise us with his photographs that uncover "what is hidden from the common gaze", and the architect and artist Luca Benites will share with the public a work defined by a look to and from the city.

 

 

 

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.