Art Madrid'26 – THE GALLERY BAT ALBERTO CORNEJO CELEBRATES THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF ART MADRID

The gallery BAT Alberto Cornejo, has been associated to Art Madrid since its beginnings. Therefore, for this fifteenth anniversary, the gallery from Madrid is paying homage to the Fair with a selection of artists who have been key in its trajectory. Some of them have been present in Art Madrid during the fifteen editions.

BAT Alberto Cornejo was one of the 18 galleries that founded Art Madrid in 2005, as a response to the evident need to make visible the work of the galleries in Spain. Since then, its directors and team have been supporting the project, presenting artistic proposals that combine the work of young artists who follow a very contemporary expressive line and pieces by artists with more consolidated careers.

Pepe Puntas

La enredadera, 2019

Mixta sobre tabla

200 x 204cm

David Lechuga

Bañista, 2004

Bronze

44 x 20cm

The artworks of David Lechuga, Diego Canogar and Pepe Puntas, artists with whom BAT Alberto Cornejo has been working for years, are characterized by keeping a timeless aesthetic that still remains in the spotlight of contemporary art. The three artists, nationally recognized and having received countless awards, have works in some important national and international art collections.

Gustavo Díaz Sosa

Caminos divergentes I, 2019

Mixta sobre lino

150 x 150cm

Diego Canogar

Tetramorfo extendido 101 N, 2014

Hierro patinado

145 x 90cm

On the other hand, the exhibition proposal of BAT Alberto Cornejo is completed by three unconditional emerging artists of the gallery: José Ramón Lozano, who returns to his beginnings with his portraits of direct faces and dark backgrounds, Gustavo Díaz Sosa with its colored architectural spaces and Cuban artist Roldán Lauzán, previously featured by the gallery Collage Habana, will make his debut with BAT Alberto Cornejo at the Fair, and whose artworks will make us reflect on the duality of being.

“We have rarely seen such strength in holding the brush as we see in the works of these three artists. With a totally visceral impulse, their paintings are framed within those images that chase you until you find yourself in front of them and fall down", the gallery owners point out.”, comment the gallerists.

José Ramón Lozano

Sin Título (II), 2018

Acrílico sobre tela

120 x 120cm

Roldán Lauzán Eiras

Season III, 2019

Óleo sobre tela

140 x 140cm

These six developed and emerging artists are joined by the German photographer Jorg Karg, who is participating for the first time in the fair with BAT Alberto Cornejo, and the Slovak photographer Mária Švarbová, who will present a very special work, "Absolute Pink Bar ". This piece, with a format of 110 x 100 cm, is the result of an advertising collaboration, and there are only 10 copies in the world. BAT Alberto Cornejo will have one of these pieces in Art Madrid. In this edition, the gallery commits to photography supported by the international projection of these two artists, as they are present in galleries all over the world and with amazing careers despite their youth.

Jorg Karg

One mile light, 2019

Printing by pigment under acrylic glass on aluminum dibond

80 x 76cm

Maria Svarbova

Snow pool, Garden, 2017

Photography

90 x 90cm

At the booth of BAT Alberto Cornejo, the figurative art staged in paintings, sculptures, drawings and photographs, will have a greater presence than abstract art (with Puntas and Canogar as acting agents), and bright colors and the female figure (either in faces or bodies) will predominate. Gustavo Díaz Sosa, Diego Canogar and Pepe Puntas present works of their artistic life project, with their particular commitment to each piece.

It is worth noting that we can highlight the co-publication of the graphic work "Pont Neuf " by the artist Jorg Karg (image of the official poster of the Fair). The work will be available exclusively at Art Madrid. On the other hand, Roldán Lauzán has made a series of unpublished pieces for Art Madrid, from the series "Hierofante" and "Anatta Vadi ". We can also find in this edition, the catalogues "Futuro Retro " by Švarbová, of very exclusive sale in Spain.

 


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 Uridales.



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!