Looking back, eighteen years is a vast and fleeting period. A time in which Art Madrid has been building its path as a reference event for the visual arts and the market in Spain and Europe. The appointment every February, in Casa de Campo or Palacio de Cristal de Cibeles, has been adding to its history, a repertoire of galleries and artists that during these years have evolved along with the event.

Pause: A pandemic, uncertainty, and the reunion with the "unmentionable party" of art have also been part of the life of the fair.

Art Madrid has demonstrated its commitment to contemporary art, its managers, and its leading makers in each edition. That is why every year, hand in hand with its advisory committee, the quality of the exhibition proposals and the desire for the fair to become a commitment to the future, speaks of the rigor in the selection of galleries and the quality of the works. That can be appreciated at the appointment.

In 2023 Art Madrid comes of age. A stadium in which it begins to be aware of the impact produced by his presence in Madrid's art week. And a moment to reflect on the path that remains to be traveled. Its mission: to continue being a disruptive and daring scene. Its bet: is to strengthen its role as a living showcase for contemporary art produced inside and outside the peninsula.

Remy Samuz, ‘Liberté’, 2018

In this journey that reaches its eighteenth edition, thirty-six galleries will attend the event to show the recent works of the more than one hundred and sixty artists who share space in the glass gallery. It is worth noting the presence of manifestations, such as painting, sculpture, photography, and drawing, always protagonists in the projects with which the galleries endorse their trajectory and that of the creators they represent. However, the performance and the installation will have a notable presence within the Curating Program, which for the third time, comes from the curator and art critic Natalia Alonso Arduengo. And that focuses on Identity as a category of analysis and starting point for questioning and aesthetic production. The narrative of this edition will also be accompanied by the Interview Program directed by the theoretician and curator Alfonso de la Torre, an erudite window that opens to the public to promote an approach to the eight most outstanding artists of ArtMadrid'23.

The return to the eighteenth sun of our house is a reason to celebrate. And we will do it again with the Acquisition Awards, the Collectors Program, and the consistently accurate advice from our Art Advisor Ana Suárez Gisbert. Thus, we invite collectors and the general public to look with the eyes of desire at the works the galleries will display in their spaces—an unrepeatable opportunity to enter the deep world of collecting.

This year's contemporary art event returns renewed, betting on new gallery models, inaugurating reception platforms so that young voices find their place in the current scenario, and interested in bringing new audiences closer to the project. Aware of the role that Art Madrid plays as an event that is due to the galleries and deals with finding a market niche for young and mid-term creators, we insist on the need to build unprejudiced visibility spaces and call attention to the urgency to professionalize artistic practices within the national and international circuit. It seems like a great responsibility. It is. And to bring Art Madrid's commitment to fruition, we have always surrounded ourselves with professionals and institutions that have accompanied us on this journey. They have all been building the itinerary today as a preamble to give thanks and celebrate our coming of age: An "unmentionable party" that has only just begun.

At the most recent edition of Art Madrid, artist Luis Olaso (Bilbao, 1986), represented by Kur Art Gallery (San Sebastián), received the Residency Prize of the Art Madrid Patronage Program. This award, the result of a collaboration between Art Madrid, DOM Art Residence, and the Italian association ExtrArtis, enabled him to undertake an artistic residency in Sorrento (Italy) in August 2025.

Through initiatives like this, the fair reaffirms its support for contemporary creation—a commitment aimed at increasing artists’ visibility and strengthening art collecting through concrete actions such as acquisition prizes, recognition of emerging talents, and international residencies.

Artists in Residence. DOM & ExtrArtis. Image courtesy of Agata D’Esposito.

The DOM & ExtrArtis 2025 Residency Program took place in Sorrento from August 1 to 31, 2025. The artists lived together at Relais La Rupe, a 16th-century villa surrounded by cliffs and centuries-old gardens, which became an ideal setting for experimentation and exchange.

In this edition, residents worked around the theme “Reimagining Genius Loci”, an invitation to reflect on how the movement of people and traditions transforms the “spirit of place.” During the residency, DOM organized two public group exhibitions: the first to present the artists’ previous work, and the second to showcase the projects developed in Sorrento.

Work by Luis Olaso. DOM & ExtrArtis. Image courtesy of Agata D’Esposito.

Luis Olaso’s work moves between expressionist figuration and abstraction, always employing a pictorial language charged with strength and emotion. Initially self-taught, he later graduated in Fine Arts and has developed a solid international career, with exhibitions at venues including JD Malat (London) and Makasiini Contemporary (Turku, Finland), and participation in fairs such as Untitled Miami, Estampa, and Art Madrid itself.

His work is part of prestigious collections, including the Tokyo Contemporary Art Foundation, Fundación SIMCO, and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, and has been recognized in competitions such as the Reina Sofía Prize for Painting and Sculpture and the Ibercaja Young Painting Prize.

In Sorrento, Olaso found a unique context to expand his pictorial research, engaging in dialogue with the Mediterranean landscape and the region’s historical heritage. The residency provided him with time, resources, and a framework for exchange with other international artists, fostering the production of new works that were later presented in the group exhibitions organized by DOM.

Luis Olaso working on his project. DOM & ExtrArtis. Image courtesy of DOM.

Luis Olaso’s experience at DOM Art Residence concluded with a public showcase of the works produced, reinforcing his presence on the international circuit and consolidating his position as one of the most prominent Basque artists on the contemporary scene.

Through initiatives such as this, Art Madrid demonstrates its active role as a platform for direct support of contemporary creation, creating opportunities for research, production, and intercultural dialogue that extend beyond the fair itself and accompany artists in their professional development.