The seventeenth edition of Art Madrid, which was held in the Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles from 23 to 27 February, closed its 17th edition with more than 16,000 visitors, a similar figure prior to the pandemic. The fair was attended by, among others: Andrea Levy, Delegate for Culture, Tourism, and Sport of Madrid City Council; Begoña Villacís, Deputy Mayoress of Madrid City Council; several Ambassadors; representatives of museums from all over Spain; and heads of important national and international collections.

Photo by Christian Monsalve from Too Many Flash

Alberto Cornejo, director of ART MADRID, says: "We are very satisfied with the results of this edition. After these years of uncertainty due to the pandemic, we are happy to see that the public and collectors continue to respond to the fair with the same enthusiasm as in previous years". And he adds: "It is interesting to note that sales at this edition have been very important, which means a remarkable dynamization of the Spanish art market". In this respect, it is worth noting that our VIP program of advice for collectors, directed by Ana Suárez Gisbert, has been a great success, providing a service to experienced collectors and generating new buyers.

Photo by Maria Astorga from Too Many Flash

The selection of 35 galleries at ART MADRID'22 was made up of: 3 Punts Galeria (Barcelona), Alba Cabrera Gallery (Valencia), Arena Martínez Projects (Madrid), Art Lounge Gallery (Lisbon), ARTITLEDcontemporary (Herpen), Aurora Vigil-Escalera (Gijón), Collage Habana (La Habana), DDR Art Gallery (Madrid), Dr. Robot Gallery (Valencia), FLECHA (Madrid), Galería BAT alberto cornejo (Madrid), Galería de la Bálgoma (Madrid), Galería Espiral (Noja), Galería Hispánica Contemporánea (Madrid-Mx DF), Galería Jorge Alcolea (Madrid), Galería Kreisler (Madrid), Galería La Aurora (Murcia), Galería Luisa Pita (Santiago de Compostela), Galeria São Mamede (Lisbon), Galerie Alex Serra (Köln), Galerie LJ (Paris), GÄRNA Art Gallery (Madrid), Helarea (Madrid), Inéditad (Barcelona), Jackie Shor Arte (São Paulo), Kur Art Gallery (San Sebastián), MA Arte Contemporáneo (Palma), Marita Segovia (Madrid), Moret Art (A Coruña), Nuno Sacramento (Ílhavo), Rodrigo Juarranz (Aranda de Duero), Shiras Galería (Valencia), Studija Mindiuzarte/Kaunas (Kaunas), Víctor Lope Arte Contemporáneo (Barcelona), Yiri Arts (Taipei).

Photo by Maria Astorga from Too Many Flash

The Fair consolidates the proposal "One Shot Collectors", an initiative that encompasses a collecting program directed by the advisor Ana Suárez Gisbert and the curatorial route ICONOSFERA, coordinated for the second consecutive year by the critic and independent curator Natalia Alonso Arduengo. Regarding this initiative, Gabriela Correa and Nuria Blanco, directors of the Kreisler (Madrid) and Moret Art (A Coruña) galleries respectively, both veterans of the fair, point out that the collectors' program is a very beneficial service that helps to boost sales during the fair and even in the days following the fair.

The Parisian gallery LJ Galerie, in its second year at the fair, makes a positive balance of its participation. Its director, Adeline Jeudy affirms that on the first day of the fair they already sold an important piece by Léo Caillard (the artist whose work was the image of the poster for this edition), and some works to new collectors. "The fair has a large number of visitors, an interesting public that is very open to buying works at a considerable price and by artists who are little known in Spain. We have also noticed the presence of an amateur public that is very interested in the work of the artists we present".

The Brazilian gallery Jackie Shor, participating for the first time in Art Madrid, also obtained good results in terms of sales. All the works presented at the stand by their youngest artist, Isabella Despujols, were sold. Most of the sales were made to local or foreign clients residing in Madrid. Moreover, its directors comment that "Art Madrid is a fair that attracts a diverse public profile, and that is very interesting".

Photo by Maria Astorga from Too Many Flash

DDR Art Gallery (Madrid), sold works by the four artists in its exhibition proposal. The gallery sold two large pieces by the Venezuelan artist Roger Sanguino, both of which will form part of two very important collections in Spain. The acquisition of two of the "avatars" by the artist Roberto López Martín, also by renowned collectors, and the great interest generated by the work "Los refugiados en las Meninas de Velázquez", by the photographer David Delgado Ruiz, also stand out.

Photo by Maria Astorga from Too Many Flash

This edition featured more than 190 national and international artists, including young artists such as the Russian Costa Gorelov (Dr.Robot Gallery) and the Portuguese Carolina Serrano (Alex Serra Galerie), and other mid-career artists such as Kepa Garraza (Víctor Lope Arte Contemporáneo) and Juana González (Arena Martínes Projects), both national artists.

ART MADRID has been sponsored by One Shot Hotels, Liquitex and Catawiki; and with the collaboration of the Proyector platform; 9915. Contemporary Art Collectors Association; and the photographic entrepreneurship school Too Many Flash.

From Art Madrid, we pose a key reflection: Is it enough to talk about emerging art, work with emerging artists, and be a platform for their promotion? Reality shows us that many of these creators, at the beginning of their professional journey, face structural barriers such as a lack of public support, the absence of galleries willing to invest in them, or the disinterest of cultural institutions.

This situation, persistent both in the Spanish landscape and in other international contexts, leads us to ask: Where is emerging art truly heading? What defines emerging artists? And why do we tend to associate the emerging solely with age, as if emergence were inexorably tied to youth?

The V' Day in Coiled Dragon Garden. Acrylic on canvas. 2022. Sun Pei Mao. Represented at Art Madrid'25 by Yiri Arts.

Emerging art should not be merely a category confined to novelty or a specific life stage. It should be a dynamic concept encompassing the freshness of ideas, the courage in proposals, and the capacity to challenge the status quo, regardless of when or how an artist emerges. It is time to broaden the conversation and rethink the space we grant to those who, from any corner or circumstance, choose to make art their way of breaking into the art scene.

The term "emerging art" has been, from its inception, a nebulous concept deeply dependent on the structures that define and promote it. Initially conceived as a category to describe artists in the early stages of their careers, the concept has transformed into a contested terrain for galleries, institutions, and art critics, often becoming more of a market mechanism than a designation of genuine creative promise. But in the 21st century, does it still make sense to talk about "emerging art"?

Untitled. Sculpture. Wood, wax, oil, and tannins. 2022. Hirosuke Yabe. Represented at Art Madrid'25 by 3 Punts Galería.

In an increasingly hyperconnected world, where the barriers between the "emerging" and the "established" are blurred by the rapid circulation of artistic images and narratives, the term may begin to lose its weight. Social media has democratized, at least in theory, access to the visibility of artworks, allowing artists from all latitudes to project their work to a global audience without traditional intermediaries. This phenomenon raises a key question: What is truly "emerging" when a creator can go from anonymity to viral notoriety in a matter of hours?

The paradox deepens when we consider how the art market has absorbed this concept. "Emerging art" has shifted from being a temporary category to becoming a label that fuels speculative desire. However, this often results in the instrumentalization of the artist, whose work is reduced to a mere vehicle for economic transactions. In this context, the concept of "emergence" refers less to the potential for exploration or innovation and more to a speculative promise of financial return.

Chromatic Dream Space. Acrylic, oil, resins, and spray paint on canvas. 2024. Gemma Alpuente. Represented at Art Madrid'25 by Canal Gallery.

Emergent: relative to what?

Another fundamental issue lies in the relationship between "emergence" and the systems of power that legitimize it. Traditionally, the idea of an emerging artist suggests a narrative of ascent, a transition from the margins to the center of institutional recognition. However, this narrative presupposes a fixed cultural hierarchy, where centers of power (New York, London, Berlin, among others) dictate what is emerging and what is not.

In recent decades, movements like postcolonialism and decolonial theories have challenged these hierarchies, pointing out how they perpetuate historical and geographical inequalities. From this perspective, labeling an artist from a "peripheral" region as "emerging" can be problematic, as it reinforces the idea that their value lies in their ability to adapt to the standards imposed by hegemonic cultural centers.

The Virginity Machine. Acrylic on canvas. 2024. Brenda Cabrera. Represented at Art Madrid'25 by Collage Habana.

The impact of technology and new forms of emergence

In today's world, the artistic landscape is shaped by digital technology, which redefines how art is produced, distributed, and consumed. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and NFT marketplaces have created new avenues of visibility and parallel economies that escape, at least partially, the control of traditional institutions. In this context, emerging art is no longer necessarily tied to galleries or museums but to a creator’s ability to navigate digital environments and build virtual communities around their work.

This generates new dynamics that challenge the usefulness of the term "emerging." On the one hand, it broadens the definition of what can be considered art and who can participate in its production. On the other, there is a risk that the focus on the "new" and "disruptive" is reduced to a mere algorithmic strategy, where the quality of the work is subordinate to its capacity to generate interactions.

Apple and Blue bear. Apple and larva. Ceramic. 2024. Yasuhito Kawasaki. Represented at Art Madrid'25 by Ting Ting Art Space.

Should we abandon the term?

In light of these complexities, we must ask whether the concept of "emerging art" remains useful or should be replaced by other categories that better reflect contemporary realities. Perhaps a more fruitful approach would be to focus on terms like "independent art," "decentralized art," or simply "contemporary art," which avoid the hierarchical and market-driven connotations inherent to "emerging." Ultimately, questioning the concept of emerging art is not just a terminological issue but a critical exercise to rethink the structures that determine how we value artistic creation. In a world where the boundaries between the emerging and the established are increasingly blurred, perhaps the real emergence lies in reimagining the very foundations of how we conceive art and its role in society.

Untitled. Acrylic on canvas. 2024. R.S. Babu. Represented at Art Madrid'25 by Gallery 1000A.

Contemporary art is a territory without fixed maps, a fluctuating space where the only rule is that nothing is set in stone. In this context, the word "emerging" takes on multiple meanings, because contemporary art is not only a product that emerges from thought or technique but is also linked to a constant process of emergence. We invite you to rethink and question its definition beyond prejudices and reductionist conceptualizations, and instead, from the spirit and commitment to open new paths toward understanding the art of our time.