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

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.