For the second consecutive year, Liquitex, a world reference brand in professional acrylic, joins Art Madrid as a sponsor, and in its desire to empower the artist and support contemporary creation, it will award a prize in material from the brand valued at €1,000 that will be granted to one of the artists participating in the fair who work with acrylic in their pieces.

The Award decision will take place on February 14 and will be communicated through our Instagram channel. To choose the winner on this occasion, they are consulting with the public through this online form in which they can vote for one of the three finalists pre-selected by the brand: Moisés Yagües, Lino Lago, or Daniel Sueiras. They will also raffle off a set of Liquitex products and tickets to our fair to encourage public voting.

Learn more about the brand and its actions as part of its commitment to the environment and the artistic community:

At Liquitex, they believe in the power of artistic expression to create a better world where artists and communities can thrive: a world where more is given back than received and social and environmental value is created.

They realize that change can be challenging, but they take immediate action to make their vision a reality. Empowering the community, innovating across all of its products and packaging, and integrating sustainability into each of its practices, maintaining the high-quality product offering artists expect, and collectively leaving a more positive footprint for everyone's future.

EMPOWERING ARTISTS

Desde Liquitex confían firmemente en la fórmula “empowering artists” como la mejor forma de conseguir sus objetivos, asegurando un mundo en el que las futuras generaciones puedan crear con garantías, dando prioridad a los espacios seguros From Liquitex, they firmly trust the formula "empowering artists" as the best way to achieve their objectives, ensuring a world in which future generations can create with guarantees, prioritizing safe spaces for artistic expression. In addition, they base this empowerment of emerging talents on their residency programs and the different prizes they award.

SAFE MATERIALS

Another fundamental pillar to understand the Liquitex brand is its continuous effort to provide safe artistic materials, certified by the Art and Creative Materials Institute, Inc., seeking to safeguard the safety of artists, as well as innovation to achieve a more positive impact on the environment. From the packaging to the product's composition, Liquitex is fully committed to betting on sustainable and innovative solutions that maintain the quality and performance of the product, leaving no trace other than that of the paint in our hands.

The progress hasn't stopped since 2017, with the introduction of cadmium-free Heavy Body colors, the first cadmium alternative with truly equivalent performance to paints containing heavy metal, all thanks to in-lab innovation. This year 2023, progress continues thanks to the partnership with Waste2Wear, pioneers in solutions for innovative plastic recycling; they use blockchain technology to offer 100% traceable and sustainable textiles. As part of the sustainability program, "A Positive Mark", the brand will launch a new line of canvases made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, identified with the SUSTAIN label, being the first items in this new Liquitex category. , in the coming months, they will be available in art establishments.

The brand will continue its vision of launching more sustainable materials within its "Professional" range, integrate sustainability practices throughout its activity, and contribute its constant support to the artist community.

Aurelio San Pedro

CONVERSATIONS WITH MARISOL SALANOVA. INTERVIEW PROGRAM. ART MADRID'25

Aurelio San Pedro (Barcelona, 1983) draws with great delicacy, focusing his attention on natural settings and favoring black and white. Memory plays a crucial role in his creative process, which is based on treating recollection as a means of artistic expression. His background in engineering and topography influences his search for inspiring images, helping him select the ideal landscapes—ones that stem from both real and imagined places.

Each of his pieces follows a slow and meticulous process, requiring deep introspection. Paper is almost a fetish for him; both the areas he chooses to intervene in and those he leaves blank hold equal importance. He navigates between abstraction and figuration while maintaining a distinctive and deeply resonant style.

Return to Oneself. From the series Books and Landscapes. 2024. Mixed media. 100 x 100 cm.

What role does experimentation play in your creative process?

Experimentation is fundamental in my creative process, both conceptually and aesthetically. My work evolves in parallel with unfolding events, gradually shaping what will become the final piece. However, in terms of production, the role of experimentation depends heavily on the series I am working on at the time.

For example, in the Books series, which is created using book fragments, three-dimensionality is essential. While working on it, I encountered trial and error, residue, simplification, and the streamlining of processes.

In contrast, when it comes to drawings, physical experimentation is much less pronounced. However, there are still discoveries, searches for tools, trials, and shifts within the working process. For instance, in Landscapes, I use a pencil with three extenders that measures about fifty to sixty centimeters. In my two latest series, Iceland and Nature, I had to learn how to move and position myself within nature, while also refining my drawing technique significantly.

Always Stumbled Upon the Same Stone.Detail. From the series Books and Landscapes. 2024. Mixed media. 10 x 19 cm.

What are your references?

I cannot pinpoint specific aesthetic influences, but I can mention those who have left a mark on my artistic journey. First and foremost, my father, due to his connection with art and architecture. I also had the privilege of learning for a year in the studio of Antoni Marqués, a renowned Catalan artist.

Historically, the works of Magritte and Joseph Kosuth have had a profound influence on me. Formally, I find a certain connection with Arte Povera, and I identify with minimalism.

Twenty Dark Episodes. 2024. From the series Books and Landscapes. Mixed media. 100 x 100 cm.

How do memory and recollection influence your drawings?

Much of my work, if not all, is rooted in memory. I began with the Diane series, a collection of pencil drawings based on old photographs by Diane Arbus. In these drawings, I removed the main subjects, leaving only the backgrounds. They were complemented by diptychs that included descriptions of the absent characters, the location where the photograph was taken, and the year. This approach created a dialogue between presence and absence, exploring themes of memory and recollection.

Later, I worked on Landscapes, a much more ethereal series in which I sought to represent an idealized and undefined image through personal memory. Currently, I am developing Nature and Iceland, projects that reflect on natural memory in relation to the landscape’s own form.

I am interested in posing questions such as: How did this rock end up here? How was this meandering river formed? A simple landscape holds countless traces and processes. For me, that is the essence of memory in my work.

ST.3. From the series Iceland. 2024. Pencil on paper. 120 x 100 cm.

How long does it take you to complete your works?

The time I dedicate to each piece depends mainly on its complexity and specific characteristics. Generally, I spend between two and four weeks on each piece, with an average of about three weeks. This varies, as some works require more time for reflection, adjustments, or details, while others emerge more fluidly. The diversity of the creative process is what makes the difference, each piece has its own demands and rhythms, making every artistic experience unique.

Return to Oneself. From the series Books and Landscapes. 2024. Mixed media. 100 x 100 cm.

Why do you choose to work in black and white?

I am deeply drawn to black and white for its timelessness. This visual approach not only eliminates distractions but also removes certain details that might diminish the work’s mystery, allowing the viewer to focus on the essential. The absence of color and the diffuse light I use contribute to a sense of distortion and vagueness, which, to me, enhances the enigmatic nature of the image.

By omitting volume and color, I create an atmosphere that invites interpretation, leaving room for the viewer to project their own narrative onto what they see. This quality of uncertainty and suggestion is what I find so powerful about working in black and white.

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