Art Madrid'25 – CONVERSATIONS WITH MARISOL SALANOVA

At Art Madrid, we are thrilled to present, for the fourth consecutive year, our curated interview program and thanks to Safe Creative. This time, we have the honor of hosting Marisol Salanova, art critic and curator, who will lead the series titled "Conversations with Marisol Salanova." Throughout these talks, we will delve into the fascinating creative world of eight outstanding artists featured in the 20th edition of the fair. This will be a unique opportunity to explore their processes, inspirations, and perspectives. With this program, we reaffirm our passion for bringing contemporary art closer to everyone, giving voice to the artists joining us for Art Week.

GUEST ARTISTS

Alexander Grahovsky. Galería BAT; Lil Blanc. Galería Rodrigo Juarranz; Diego Vallejo García. Shiras Galería; Antonio Ovejero. CLC ARTE; Gastón Lisak. Inéditad Gallery; Paula Blanco. Galería Arancha Osoro; Aurelio San Pedro. Pigment Gallery; Tiffany Alfonseca. OOA Gallery.

The essence that connects the artists selected for the Art Madrid’25 Interview Program is their spirit of constant exploration. This creative quest transcends the boundaries of materials and formats, manifesting itself in the unique way they understand the artistic process. Each of them is at a crucial point of evolution, demonstrating that art, by nature, is a dynamic and ever-changing journey. With distinct styles and an unmistakable personal imprint, these creators challenge conventions and refuse to remain in their comfort zones, driven by an inexhaustible passion to innovate and redefine the limits of contemporary art. Their bold character transforms their work into an experience that directly engages the viewer, expanding artistic possibilities and questioning audience expectations.

In the realm of new figuration, it is particularly revealing how some artists choose to move away from traditional methods, such as the use of preliminary sketches. Instead, they approach painting with spontaneity, allowing the initial stroke to become an essential part of the work's development. This approach reflects a courageous attitude that celebrates accident and intuition as fundamental tools in the creative process. Conversely, those working in abstraction exhibit an equally daring will, rejecting techniques that guarantee a predictable finish. There is no fear of error—only a deep embrace of uncertainty, seen as a reflection of life itself. Even the most technically elaborate pieces conceal creation processes where free gestures and experimentation play a crucial role.

This spirit of innovation finds a perfect setting at Art Madrid’25, where it engages in dialogue with the general public, critics, and collectors. To delve deeper into the concerns and aspirations of these creators, we have prepared a selection of interviews that provide insight into their personal worlds. From a critical yet accessible perspective, these conversations offer tools for interpreting the works and understanding the intentions behind each artistic proposal.

Hearing the voices of the artists not only helps democratize access to art but also adds value—an additional dimension to how we interact with it. Each interview invites us to reflect on the motivations driving these creators, their influences, and the expectations they place on their work. Their words build bridges between the artwork and the viewer, transforming what might seem out of reach into something intimate and profoundly human.

In this context, the interviews presented here are not mere descriptions but an opportunity to understand the ideas and context shaping each project. Through them, readers can discover both technical talent and the emotional and conceptual depth that broadly defines Art Madrid’25. This carefully curated journey, designed to complement the fair experience, invites the audience to immerse themselves in the vision of creative professionals who transform the intangible into art and the personal into the universal.

Marisol Salanova. Art critic and curator of the Interview Program at Art Madrid'25.


Guest Artists: Conversations with Marisol Salanova.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Lil Blanc (Madrid, 1993) began her professional journey by exploring textures, later evolving toward the study of gradients and transitions between colors. This pursuit culminated in an abstraction that conveys intense emotions. The soft gradations on her canvases evoke sunset skies, an attempt to capture the fleeting nature of those moments inspired by her personal experience of creative contemplation. Her perfectionist approach and "less is more" philosophy reflect her training as an architect. Without embellishments, Blanc creates works imbued with subtle stories and profound layers of meaning. Alexander Grahovsky (Alicante, 1980) adopts a chaotic and spontaneous approach, collecting images that he transforms into narrative collages. His painting is characterized by a strong surrealist component, with non-linear stories unfolding in overlapping scenes at different phases, inviting the viewer's gaze to wander across the composition. Influences from classical painting and cinema enrich his works, whose interpretation varies depending on the viewer’s background and mood. Diego Vallejo García (Ávila, 1991) blends a classical aesthetic with contemporary themes. His training in Art History and Restoration allows him to integrate both theoretical and practical approaches into his projects. Using oil paint and glazing techniques, he creates generational portraits that reflect the collective personality of his time, meticulously ensuring the conservation and durability of each piece. Antonio Ovejero (Valencia, 1999) investigates memory and scenes from the collective imagination, exploring beauty in the sublime everyday. His fascination with figures adorned with jewelry, geometric-patterned garments, and extravagant hairstyles connects different eras. Through a kitsch aesthetic, he merges the traditional with the ostentatious, crafting images that intertwine aging, elegance, and daily life. Ovejero describes his style as neo-pop costumbrismo. Gastón Lisak (Barcelona, 1989) moves toward conceptual art from his experience as a teacher and workshop facilitator. His work revolves around "mundane archaeology," examining the transformation of anachronistic objects. Influenced by industrial design, he critiques overproduction and finds beauty in discarded items, pausing to contemplate what often goes unnoticed. Paula Blanco (Oviedo, 1996) merges art and science to explore the relationship between nature, territory, and the environment. Drawing inspiration from the landscape, she uses clay, pigments, varnishes, and fiberglass to create structures reminiscent of natural organisms. Her abstract and ethereal approach sublimates matter, separating the concept from the object and expressing herself through the origins of raw materials. Tiffany Alfonseca (Dominican Republic, 1994) delves into her Afro-Latinx-American identity by depicting everyday scenes of empowered individuals and non-normative bodies. Combining painting, drawing, silkscreen, and embroidery, she draws inspiration from the vibrant colors of her childhood in the Dominican Republic. Her work blends vivid tones and rich textures to convey personal and collective narratives that resonate universally. Aurelio San Pedro (Barcelona, 1983) is known for his delicate black-and-white drawings focused on natural settings. Memory lies at the heart of his creative process, using recollection as a tool for visual expression. Paper plays a central role, balancing worked areas with untouched spaces. His style oscillates between abstraction and figuration while maintaining a distinctive artistic identity.

MARISOL SALANOVA.

ABOUT MARISOL SALANOVA

An art critic, curator, and cultural manager, Marisol Salanova (Valencia, 1982) is a natural communicator. She holds a degree in Philosophy from the University of Valencia and specialized in Art and Technology through a master’s degree in Artistic Production. She has authored works for publishers such as Plataforma Editorial and Akal, among others, publishing several essays, numerous catalogs, and artist books. For nearly a decade, she directed the publishing house Micromegas, dedicated to contemporary art texts, a role she balanced with teaching.

Marisol Salanova regularly writes for ABC Cultural and participates in the Hoy por Hoy program on Cadena Ser. She also advises collectors and has pioneered curating crypto art through the platform Arteinformado. She curates exhibitions for internationally renowned artists, both solo and group shows, and has curated editorial sections of art fairs such as the now-defunct SUMMA Madrid and MARTE Castellón. She conducts in-depth research for each project and is currently working on her doctoral thesis on the work of sculptor Apel·les Fenosa.

She is recognized as one of the most visible critical voices in the Spanish art scene, known for her high media profile and outreach skills, which she actively employs on social media. Her best tools are listening and engaging in dialogue to understand and amplify the work of artists.

 ABOUT SAFE CREATIVE

This Interview program of Art Madrid’25 features the collaboration of SAFE CREATIVE a platform allied with artists on the Internet to protect their rights. At present with new technological advancements, challenges have multiplied, and we provide solutions for creators and artists of all kinds. challenges have multiplied, and we provide solutions for creators and artists of all kinds. Safe Creative offers an online, user-friendly, and cost-effective system that enables any creator to obtain the necessary evidence to prove copyright ownership from the comfort of their home. By using their computer, they can instantly register all of their work.


With the collaboration of



RAÍCES AFUERA. PERFORMANCE CYCLE X ART MADRID'25

Art Madrid celebrates twenty years of contemporary art from March 5 to 9, 2025, at the Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles. During Art Week, it becomes an exhibition platform for national and international galleries and artists. In this edition, with the aim of providing a space for artists working in the realm of performance art, the fair presents Raíces Afuera, a performance cycle that explores notions of belonging and the need for rootedness in a contemporary world marked by fragmentation, displacement, and disconnection. Positioned within the fair as a critical and reflective space, the project challenges the individual’s relationship with their environment, community, and sense of identity.


PERFORMANCE: EL PESO DE LA CIUDAD LO LLEVO CONMIGO. BY AGUSTINA PALAZZO

March 9 | 17:00h. Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles.


El peso de la ciudad lo lleco conmigo. Agustina Palazzo. Peformance documentacion. 2025.


The current urban landscape represents an environment saturated with symbols of modernity and technological “progress.” The television and radio antennas, which hover over rooftops, embody much more than their technical function. They emerge as markers of change, connecting generations to a global world, transforming urban life into a web of communication and entertainment.

This modification of the urban landscape has direct implications for the contemporary body, a body defined and altered through technology and its relationship with the environment. As Laura Barros Condés says in Habitar(se), “Technology has become an intrinsic part of individuals, largely through the body.”

Space itself is an organism that intervenes in the body. We experience an environment through the body, and inevitably, this relationship influences our way of connecting physically and psychologically, as well as the process of constructing identity. The body is defined and altered through its relationship with the environment.

The antennas, these inanimate objects that hover over the urban landscape, represent a powerful metaphor for an era saturated by technological mediation. Their abundant presence points to the paradox of connectivity that, while promising to unite us, fragments our attention and collective experience. As unnoticed monuments, they invite us to reflect on how technology redefines cities and our relationship with them.

El peso de la ciudad lo llevo conmigo seeks to make visible contemporary oppression—how industrialization, urbanization, and digitalization condition the construction of identity, stripping individuals of a vital connection and leaving an existential void in a body that inhabits the saturation of the urban landscape.


Radiorator II. Performance documentation. 2025. Agustina Palazzo.


ABOUT AGUSTINA PALAZZO

Agustina Palazzo (Córdoba, Argentina, 1992) is a multidisciplinary artist from Córdoba, Argentina. Based in Barcelona, her practice spans art, education, and cultural management within the context of the digital world and new technologies. Her work oscillates between the critical and the poetic, using emerging themes and technologies as creative tools in performance, sound design, and installation. Her artistic research is nourished by the relationship between communication, human behavior, and new technologies, creating experiences that question the boundaries of human behavior and the digital realm. She has participated in solo and group exhibitions, festivals, and residencies across Latin America and Europe. Some of her notable engagements include IMMERSIVA at Espronceda, Institute of Art and Culture (ES), Tsonami Sound Art (CHILE), Rake Community, art and research platform (UK), SONAR + D (ES), LLUM (ES), Teorema (ES), 220 Contemporary Culture (AR), Millesuoni (IT), Espai 19 (ES), among others.

Agustina Palazzo's work focuses on human behavior, desires, and misunderstandings, exploring the contradictions of the contemporary crowd caught between technological refinement and moral erosion in fragmented attention spans. It swings between the critical and the poetic, inspired by science fiction, utopia, and dystopia, but with an emotional sensitivity anchored in the present. Her practice moves across performance, installation, video, sound, and archive, using technology not only as a tool but as a symbol of a social and political condition.

Taking advantage of its poetic dimension, she blends digital and analog techniques with everyday objects, stretching their meanings. Sound and radio are recurring elements in her quest, but her language is expansive, crossing through the visual, performative, and sonic. Experimentation, process, and critical reflection are the core of her practice, inviting the viewer to question their relationship with the digital and the real.



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