The contemporary art fair returns to the Galería de Cristal of Palacio de Cibeles with more than 200 artists, curated routes, performances and a programme that rethinks how we experience the exhibition space.
‘Habitar lo efímero’ (Inhabiting the ephemeral) sets the conceptual tone of Art Madrid this year, framing the fair as a relational space where architecture, artworks and visitors shape meaning together. Running until 8 March, its 21st edition takes place in the luminous Galería de Cristal del Palacio de Cibeles, bringing together 35 national and international galleries and more than 200 artists during Madrid’s Art Week, while continuing the fair’s commitment to plurality and to presenting diverse artistic languages without a single curatorial line.
The experiential dimension expands through the Parallel Programme, which activates the space with performances, curated routes and site specific projects. Drawing on ideas developed by Georges Perec and Édouard Glissant, the programme invites visitors to reconsider corridors, distances and pauses as part of the narrative fabric of the exhibition.
‘Ella siempre elegante’, Palito Domingin
Among the highlights is Open Booth, presenting the installation ‘Despiece. Protocolo de mutación’ by Cuban artist Daniel Barrio, who transforms the stand into a landscape assembled from industrial fragments and recovered materials. The project encourages visitors to move through the installation and reflect on the memories embedded in the materials that shape contemporary urban environments.
The programme also includes curated routes led by art historians Zuriñe Lafón and Marisol Salanova, offering interpretative frameworks for navigating the fair. Alongside this curatorial mediation, the performance cycle ‘Abierto Infinito: Lo que el cuerpo recuerda’ explores the relationship between body, memory and presence through a series of live actions unfolding throughout the week.
Within the fair, the Espacio Nebrija presents ‘Estancias transitorias (NotanIA SipedagogIE)’, a collective project by students from the Universidad Nebrija’s Fine Arts programme that reflects on what the organisers call “aesthetic intelligence” as a counterpoint to the growing automation of creative processes, foregrounding material experimentation, bodily presence and the sensory dimensions of artistic practice.
Art Madrid also reinforces its commitment to collectors through One Shot Collectors, a programme directed by art advisor Ana Suárez Gisbert that connects artists, galleries and new buyers while encouraging a more informed approach to collecting contemporary art.
‘La pintora’, Carmen Mansilla
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