Art Madrid celebrates this year its 15th anniversary with an edition that stands out for its dynamism and its festive character. With a unique proposal we celebrate years making a review and analysis of the evolution and development of the fair in recent editions. Expert personalities such as Carlos Delgado, curator and art critic, the artist Dionisio González, the gallery owner Aurora Vigil or the critic and curator Fernando Gómez de la Cuesta accompany us on this journey.

RLM

Avatar soldado, 2016

Tela sobre fibra de vidrio y resina

100 x 30cm

Andrés Planas

BigMac, 2015

Técnica mixta madera, plástico, pigmentos, pan de oro y restos biológicos humanos

40 x 23cm

One of the biggest commitments of the fair has been to help position and project the work of the artists in the art market. According to the curator and art critic Carlos Delgado, "Art Madrid covers and gives space to many artists who have achieved a visibility that otherwise they could not have. Both through the One Project program and the general program, Art Madrid has maintained and strengthened its commitment to supporting young artists and emerging creators who are in the process of consolidating their careers. The artist Dionisio González states that he has always seen this fair as an excellent showcase in which the works of the most outstanding artists of the current national and international scene have been displayed, so being part of the fair this year is gratifying.

Dionisio González

Inter-Acciones 12, 2019

Impresión digital en papel de algodón sobre dibond y enmarcado en madera lacada en blanco

55 x 55cm

Dionisio González

Inter-Acciones 22, 2019

Impresión digital en papel de algodón sobre dibond y enmarcado en madera lacada en blanco

55 x 55cm

Art Madrid's commitment to emerging creators also allows for the acquisition of works within a wide economic spectrum as varied prices can be found. In the words of Carlos Delgado, "Art Madrid is the ideal place to start collecting, as there are small and medium formats, graphic works..." The galleries participating in Art Madrid have an optimal price range to find high quality proposals at an affordable price, a perfect setting to start collecting with works by young artists who have not yet established themselves.

Likewise, support for emerging and mid-career creators requires galleries that bet on these artists. Some of these, like Aurora Vigil who has been in the art world for 35 years, are an essential element in the shaping of the art scene since, as she herself states, "the gallery owner is not only the person who sells works of art, his role is something else, he has to project the artists he believes in, he has to assume the task of disseminating their work".

Julio Anaya

Francisco de Goya - Vuelo de Brujas, 2019

Acrílico sobre cartón

100 x 75cm

Although Art Madrid maintains its preponderance in the usual disciplines such as painting and sculpture, it has been embracing new proposals that define contemporary art in all its lines. On the one hand, the inclusion of a dedicated program that includes video art and action art, which until now was only part of the parallel program and this year has its own stand at the fair. On the other hand, the curatorial program One Project has been consolidating its place as one of the fundamental pillars of Art Madrid. Fernando Gómez de la Cuesta, curator of One Project, states that it is necessary to maintain programs like this one where transgressive, minority proposals can be observed, with a component of friction towards the environment, questioning fashions and trends. This edition under the title of "Salvajes. La cage aux fauves", One Project reaffirms and strengthens this area as a place of confrontation and artistic subversion.

Imanol Villota

It has also been a "clear success the elimination of the second market" to confirm the positioning of Art Madrid as a contemporary art fair, since according to Delgado the fair becomes an absolute expression of the most contemporary scene that seeks direct contact with current art and allows a mapping of what is happening in art today. Artists such as Dionisio González emphasize the open, dynamic and avant-garde character of the fair, as well as the attendance of a varied public that allows bringing contemporary art closer to a more heterogeneous public without, of course, leaving aside the exhibition function for the collectors that come from various corners of the world to attend this unavoidable appointment with art.

This marked internationality is transversal to the fair since in the last editions Art Madrid has 40% of international galleries in its general program. Countries such as South Africa, Taiwan, Cuba or Ecuador are part of the proposal presented by Art Madrid year after year, generating a greater artistic diversity taking into account the socio-cultural influence of each country.

Alejandro Gómez Cangas

Brecha No. 2, 2019

Oil on canvas

140 x 140cm

Hendrik Czakainski

3ER1, 2018

Cartón y pintura sobre MDF

86 x 75cm

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 Urdiales, as well as Carmen Mansilla, who debuted at Art Madrid'26 and achieved a sold out.

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.