Labourer of acting
Álvaro Gago, the director of ‘Matria’, chases Ramona with his camera in a frenzied story that has earnt actress María Vázquez her second Goya nomination.
‘Black Mirrors Series’, by Samuel Salcedo. © Courtesy of Art Madrid
They emerged under ARCO, but in the last few years, these fairs have come into their own. During Art Week, Madrid hosts a steady stream of fairs for all audiences, tastes and pockets. Whether you like illustration, urban or contemporary art, you have a date in the capital of the kingdom.
Art Madrid, a direct connection between audience and artists
Disciplines such as video production, action art and performance are the absolute stars of this new edition of Art Madrid, held from February 26 to March 1 at the Glass Gallery at Cibeles Palace. The fair, in its fifteenth year, aims to connect the audience directly to the artist, to promote a dialogue between both parties and bring them closer to provide greater awareness and understanding of these minority disciplines.
Therefore, every day, visitors will have the chance to attend presentations and meetings with video creators such as Abelardo Gil-Fournier, Fernando Baena, Mario Santamaría or Maia Navas. Furthermore, action art lovers will be able to enjoy first-hand the audiovisual performances offered by artists such as Iván Puñal, Olga de Diego, Eunice Artur with Bruno Gonçalves and Arturo Moya with Ruth Abellán.
And that’s not all. To bring video art closer to the public, Art Madrid has organised a series of projections during the fair, where the audience will be able to enjoy a selection of video art festival pieces from countries such as Portugal, Mexico, Morocco, Argentina, France or the Netherlands.
JustMad, a look at today’s society
Issues such as feminism, sustainability or consumerism are a bigger part of our day-to-day lives than ever and also, of course, of the art world. For this reason, JustMad has created an edition with artists whose creations deal with these concepts. Incidentally, and to lead by example, it’s worth noting that half of the artists participating in this edition, held from February 27 to March 1 at Palacio de Neptuno, are women.
At JustMad 2020 there will be space for debate with the series El impacto de las tecnologías exponenciales en la creatividad y la cultura [The impact of exponential technologies on creativity and culture], run by technology and innovation expert Paco Bree. It will also include video art and action art, with talks by Verónica Ruth Frías, Noemí Iglesias or Santiago Sierra along the fair’s corridors, covering topics such as the lack of women in art history. There will also be room for concerts, with DJs Bea Tricks, Cherry Pie, duo LeFreakOlé and Ettier playing electronic music to raise awareness regarding the work of women in this field.
Urvanity spills digital art onto the streets
New contemporary art and urban art have their own space, for another year, at Madrid Art Week. Those visiting Urvanity from February 27 to March 1 at COAM Headquarters will not only enjoy works from artists such as the always controversial Bansky, JerkFace, Grip Face or Miju Lee in this space, but also on the streets of Madrid, which will become the stage for murals and installations by creators such as Queen Andrea, Zest, Dunja Jankovic or Abel Iglesias.
During this edition, the streets will also be filled with digital art. Twenty creators in total, including names such as Filip Custic, Clara Cebrián, Mit Borrás, Lola Zoido or Víctor Arce, will exhibit ten-second works analysing issues such as the city itself, identity or relationships, through digital billboards.
Again, there will be time to reflect on and analyse the present and the future of contemporary art with talks held at Espacio Mahou, which will be transformed by New York graffiti artist Queen Andrea’s colourful strokes. These debates will give a voice both to artists (Ana Barriga or Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada), film directors (Miguel Angel Rolland and Zane Meyer) and photographers (Martha Cooper and Enrique Escandell).
SAM, a great little museum
From February 24 to March 1, Espacio Velázquez 12 hosts the second edition of this fair featuring Avant-garde and Modern Art. As if it were a museum, at SAM, the audience will be able to enjoy (and also buy, funds permitting) pieces by artists such as Jaume Plensa, Alberto Giacometti, Joan Miró, Eduardo Chillida, Salvador Dalí, Tamara de Lempicka, Pierre-Auguste Renoir or Pablo Picasso.
During this second edition, SAM will pay tribute to Luis Feito, founding member of the Madrid group El Paso and a pivotal figure in Spanish contemporary art, with a retrospective of his work from the 50s to today, where the audience can become a witness of the progression of his style towards abstraction.
Hybrid, an ode to emerging and independent art
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. This seems to be the slogan of the Hybrid Art Fair, which will take place from February 28 to March 1 at Hotel Petit Palace Santa Bárbara, supporting emerging and independent art.
With more than one hundred artists in the programme, this year, at Hybrid, there will also be space for temporary talks and artistic installations along the fair’s corridors, hall and other common areas, including artists such as David Benarroch, Esther Ventura Gálvez, Isabel Flores, Jennifer Custodio or Tomás González Justicia, with creations surrounding the topics of virtual life, creative urban exodus or masculinity.
Music will also play a special role during the festival. Therefore, on Friday night attendees will enjoy electronic music artists Slvj and Cruhda, together with the visual creations of Rayuli and Judith Adataberna. On Saturday night Kamala Sutra, a.k.a. Andrea Ariza and Glue Kids will be in charge of creating the soundtrack.
Drawing room indulges collectors
Drawing Room, held from February 26 to March 1 at Palacio de Santa Bárbara, celebrates its fifth edition. The only date exclusively dedicated to the world of contemporary illustration (considered a minor genre until recently, but sparking more interest among collectors and critics every day) returns to the capital with a programme that brings together 18 carefully-selected galleries, focusing on quality and exhibition discourse.
At this fair, collectors and enthusiasts will get an inside look at emerging illustration, as well as the work of midcareer artists and renowned masters, through a strong focus on international collecting, as stated by the organisers. Therefore, Drawing Room continues its VIP agenda, including visits to exhibitions in Madrid and private collection receptions, aimed at exclusive groups with a clear interest in the illustration market.
