Mónica Egido. Courtesy of the artist.

INTERCESSIONS. PERFORMANCE CYCLE X TARA FOR WOMEN

Art Madrid celebrates its 19th edition from March 6 to 10, 2024 at the Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles. During the Art Week, Art Madrid becomes an exhibition platform for national and international galleries and artists. With the intention of creating a space of expression for emerging artists, our fair has joined forces with the Tara For Women Foundation, which, in its mission to empower and strengthen talented women, becomes a collaborator of Art Madrid's renewed Parallel Program with the Performance Cycle: Intercessions X Tara For Women.

PERFORMANCE VACÍO. FROM THE SERIES FOMO. MÓNICA EGIDO

Wednesday - March 6 - 19:00h. Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles.

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is a diagnostic label under which people of the same generation suffer high levels of anxiety and stress due to the fear of not complying with everything that society imposes; they live in a constant state of alert that leads to a deterioration of their physical and mental health.

The social demands imposed, together with the maximum development of capitalism, consumerism and productivism at all levels, make us human beings self-imposed to take advantage of every second, forgetting the need to stop, rest, get bored and "not to do".

Still from the FOMO Project. 2023.

This project aims to give visibility to this social problem and create a space for debate to talk about an issue that affects thousands of people. We must ask what is the origin of the desire to be connected to what others are doing at all times, and what are its effects at the individual level, from a neuroscientific and psychological point of view; and what are its effects at the social level, from an anthropological and philosophical point of view.

Vacío reflects on the feeling of dissatisfaction and constant unhappiness suffered by many people of the millennial generation. With this performance, Mónica Egido claims that a profession or career does not define us as people, that we can be mediocre once more, and in general stop filling those "empty" spaces of content and constant experiences, to stop doing and just BEING.

Still from the FOMO Project. 2023.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

MÓNICA EGIDO. Salamanca, 1994

Mónica Egido (Salamanca, 1994) is a visual artist with a background in physiotherapy and specialization in neuroscience of chronic pain and obstetrics. She has excelled in the field of photography, being selected for Futures Photography 2023 and awarded a grant by PhotoEspaña. Her work, exhibited in various spaces in Europe, addresses different issues of neuroscience in relation to health, using art as a mechanism for dissemination, as in her latest project FOMO, where she talks about the impact of permanent anxiety on physical and mental health. Her piece Vacío reflects on the feeling of dissatisfaction and unhappiness that many people of the millennial generation suffer from.

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.