Marina Tellme. Guest artist at OPEN BOOTH X LIQUITEX. Courtesy of the artist.

OPEN BOOTH X LIQUITEX

"REUNIÓN DE GENTE IMPORTANTÍSIMA"

BY MARINA TELLME

Art Madrid'24 returns to the Art Week and celebrates its 19th edition. From March 6 to 10, 2024, the Crystal Gallery of the Cibeles Palace will become the epicenter where the most innovative and current artistic trends of the national and international scene will gather. To celebrate its 19th edition, Art Madrid presents a General Galleries Program and a renewed Parallel Program. Both proposals are aimed at enriching the presence of an event that has already surpassed its satellite season, consolidating itself in each edition as a reference appointment in the agendas of the general and specialized public.

In this edition, Art Madrid presents exclusively the OPEN BOOTH X LIQUITEX. A section that opens with the installation: "Reunión de gente importantísima" by the artist Marina Tellme.

OPEN BOOTH X LIQUITEX thus becomes a sort of fleeting home that distinguishes and makes our event a place to stay for a few days. A meeting of very important people is a work that will certainly generate synergies with the public, expanding its sense as an intelligently critical work and serving as a space for reflection, in a close and multipurpose event like Art Madrid.

Artistic practices that are born of collaboration, that promote the generation of work spaces and dialogue between the different agents in the sector, are essential to promote a turn of the screw in the transformation and renovation of the cultural fabric. The constant evolution of art demands a continuous dialogue between artists, galleries and audiences. In our 19th edition, we intend to be catalysts for this dialogue, transcending traditional boundaries and embracing new artistic expressions. We firmly believe in the capacity of art to influence society, and we want to be agents of change by facilitating the convergence of diverse artistic languages in this new edition.

"Reunión de dente importantísima". Marina Tellme. Project for Art Madrid. 2024.

The site specific "Reunión de gente importantísima", conceived especially for Art Madrid, proposes a subversive view of the context of social relations established in the art world. With a touch of humor, a naive aesthetic and an intentionality that could seem candid, the work represents a meeting of people in a VIP area as a satire or comic strip.

"Reunión de dente importantísima". Marina Tellme. Project for Art Madrid. 2024.

Surrounded by a red velvet cordon, where any spectator can enter and live this experience, the characters enjoy their hedonistic posture, differentiating themselves from the rest by the mere fact of belonging to a select club of chosen ones. However, to the surprise of the privileged, we have all been invited to this meeting of very important people. As you pass by, you will feel as if you were entering a forest, you will discover a peculiar multitude of oversized characters, fashionistas, cool people, chic, art geeks, who talk ad nauseam about apparently crucial issues - for the salvation of the planet - but we do not understand a single word.

"Reunión de dente importantísima". Marina Tellme. Project for Art Madrid. The Chin Chin Bitches. 2024.

One more edition of Art Madrid joins Liquitex to strengthen their mutual commitment to contemporary creation. The world's leading brand in professional acrylics is the sponsor of the new OPEN BOOTH X LIQUITEX (Stand D2), which will host the artist Marina Tellme.

Marina Tellme in her studio. Courtesy of the artist. 2024.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

MARINA TELLME, 1995, Almería.

Graduated in Fine Arts at the Alonso Cano Faculty (Granada), Master in Film Directing at TAI and qualified as a voice-over actress at EDM (Madrid). Her work has been exhibited at Humboldt University (Berlin), García Lorca Art Center (Granada), Bless Hotel (Madrid), Instituto de la Mujer de Almería, selected in the Art Sur Festival of Art in Action (Córdoba) or Femujer de Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), among others. Her work is the result of her passion for telling stories. Her paintings, sculptures and installations represent (as if it were a frame of an animated film) a scenery with characters and circumstances, mostly comic and naive style, but with room for social criticism; showing generational concerns such as the difficulties of access to decent work or housing, the figure of women in the art world and numerous burdens that appear in our lives when we grow up: such as anxiety, impostor syndrome or social phobia.

There are places where art breathes differently, where every piece finds the space to whisper into the viewer's ear. Art Madrid has become, edition after edition, a highly anticipated event for contemporary art—an encounter where innovation intertwines with human connection. In 2025, we celebrate our 20th edition, adhering to the guiding principles that have always defined Art Madrid: an approach that remains close to the public and attuned to the realities of the art world, conscious of future challenges and the positive impact of events like this, which often bring fresh air and break the insularity that tends to permeate the sector.

Milija Cpajak Thorn. Escultura en bronce.2021.

It is often thought that the success of an art fair is measured in square meters. In truth, its true value lies in the audience's motivation to return year after year and to recommend it to others. In our case, being a "small" fair is a statement of principles. Here, there is no rush, no crowds to stifle conversation.

At Art Madrid, galleries, artists, and collectors have time to meet, to unravel the stories behind the artworks. It is a place where the intimacy of dialogue takes precedence over the grandiosity of numbers. Over these twenty years, we have seen galleries grow that began this adventure with us, sharing and shaping their journeys in the same spirit of closeness and authenticity. At the same time, each edition is enriched by the incorporation of new projects and visions that inject fresh air and broaden our artistic horizons.

Veljko Vuckovic. Suspended State. Óleo sobre lienzo. 2024.

The year 2025 brings us a selection of artists who are shaping the future of art. Guided by the thirty-four galleries participating in this edition of Art Madrid, we will discover artists whose passion for visual expression redefines the boundaries between abstraction and figuration; bold proposals that explore texture, color, and the symbolism of “other” visual narratives; and new voices and perspectives that confront the challenges of creation in a globalized world. This wealth of perspectives invites visitors to witness a constant dialogue between contemporary creation and the tensions that permeate it.

A clear example of how contemporary artists are weaving threads between the past and the present, thereby reshaping our understanding of art as a dynamic practice in continuous dialogue with history. In this context, artists challenge the conventions of visual language and invite us to rethink the meanings, textures, and symbols that saturate our perceptions.

The fair has remained true to its identity as a close, human-centered event—modest in scale but significant in impact—allowing it to offer a unique and personalized experience to everyone involved. The questions we pose are clear: How is contemporary art understood in the 21st century? How can a fair be not just a marketplace, but also a space for debate, critique, and discovery? And, above all, what does it mean to celebrate twenty years of contemporary art in a world transforming at breathtaking speed?

Iyán Castaño. Corrientes circulares. Técnica mixta. 2024.

In 2025, Art Madrid emerges as a call to action: an invitation to pause and reflect on the role that art plays in our lives and society. Rather than offering a quick response to market dynamics, the fair creates a moment of reflection, a space where artworks can engage in deeper, more meaningful dialogue with the viewer. This approach is not only necessary but becomes an act of resistance against the immediacy and superficiality that often characterize the consumption of art in the digital age.

In an era where the acceleration of the market and consumer-driven trends shape the creation and exhibition of art, Art Madrid remains faithful to a model that values thoughtful reflection, personal encounters, and profound dialogue. This critique of speed is particularly relevant in a historical moment where digital platforms, algorithms, and globalization are redefining our interactions with culture.

Joana Gancho. ST. óleo sobre tela. 2024.

In this edition, we tackle the challenge of balancing the need for relevance in a globalized market with the preservation of authenticity and creativity. In this effort, we have successfully struck a balance where the quality of the artistic offering is prioritized over the mass scale of events. This principle is essential to understanding how the fair has, over two decades, evolved into an international showcase while remaining true to its local essence and its strong connection to Madrid’s artistic community.

The inclusion of disciplines such as painting, sculpture, photography, and video art reflects the plurality of approaches that define Art Madrid. This diversity of artistic expressions offers the public a broad and multifaceted perspective on today’s contemporary art landscape, demonstrating art’s power to transform perceptions of urban spaces, integrating technology into the creative process, and reshaping the relationship between the viewer, the artwork, and the context that embraces it.

Richard García. Me peleo con las bestias de mi propia fantasía. 2024.

Art Madrid returns this year, celebrating twenty years of contemporary art and reaffirming its commitment to remain an open space for galleries and artists striving to stand out in an increasingly fragmented and image-saturated world. With this in mind, we aim to ensure that the galleries' exhibitions resonate with the public, enhancing the experience by proposing new ways of engaging with contemporary art and tackling complex issues such as climate change, identity, collective memory, and global politics. In 2025, the works on display at Art Madrid will undoubtedly reflect the most pressing concerns and questions of our time.