Shiras Galería is committed to local art in Valencia and in its proposal for this edition of Art Madrid will exhibit work by five Valencian artists and one Zamorano artist based in Valencia.

Founded by its current artistic director Sara Joudi, Shiras Galería gives visibility to local art in Valencia, as well as national and international art, and does so by offering a proposal for inter-generational dialogue between consolidated artists and young emerging artists with great potential for projection. Shiras Galería is a member of the Consortium of Spanish Contemporary Art Galleries, LaVAC (Association of Contemporary Art Galleries of the Valencian Community) and the Valencia Excellence Association.

Toño Barreiro (Zamora, 1965) participates in Art Madrid with the proposal "FLEXIA". Defined by the critic David Barro as: Toño Barreiro proposes to "visualize the skeleton of thought" and for this he uses the line in a sinuous and organic way (Dibujos infinitos) or as a constructor of flat geometries, which combines and moves in structures of inspired three-dimensionality (Flexia). Through new technologies and creative processes, the artist in his most recent creations, develops a multidisciplinary work in which he breaks completely with the traditional frame, making a symbiosis between painting and sculpture.

Toño Barreiro

Dibujos infinitos, 2018

Tinta plana sobre papel fabriano

90 x 75cm

Juan Olivares (Catarroja, 1973) is an interdisciplinary artist who works between China and Spain. This year he is participating in the fair with the new series "Beyond", recently exhibited in Shiras, where he shows us his ambivalence between the poetics of the Eastern world and the chromatism of Western abstract expressionism. He makes his collages by cutting out fragments of vinyl paint on paper and combining them in such a way that the formal limits of the pictorial are lost. For the artist, abstraction is the search for the essential in the work.

Horacio Silva (Valencia, 1950), is included in Art Madrid's proposal with his recent project "intro-versions". Prestigious artist and professor of the UPV. In his work, mimesis and colour come together in a clear transition towards abstraction in which the element of "unity" makes it an explosive display of emotional tensions, from which his unmistakable personal stamp emerges.

Josep Tornero

St, 2019

Oil on canvas

100 x 100cm

Horacio Silva

Mi isla preferida, 2019

Acrylic on canvas

155 x 120cm

The artist Josep Tornero (Valencia,1973), uses his masterful command of classical technique in a contemporary way and with it constructs a work in which he travels through the image both from the real and the imaginary where we find a constant concern for the material element that configures it. Her black and white oils, which resemble a blurred photograph, have a background of social denunciation. This makes her paintings unmistakable.

Nanda Botella

Serie grietas franjas y color, 2018

Mixed media

70 x 70cm

Shiras' exhibition proposal for Art Madrid is completed with the most recent works by Nanda Botella and Cristina Gamón. Stripes, colours and cracks merge in the work of Nanda Botella (Valencia,1960), who expresses her deepest feelings through a metaphysical language. The colour in its maximum vivacity is a fundamental element in the current work of the Valencian artist, in contrast to the work based on black and white of her previous stage. On the other hand, the young artist Cristina Gamón (Valencia, 1987), makes a show of color on surfaces of metacrilate, obtaining diffused and transparencies that remember to primary organisms submerged in aqueous spaces located in abysmal depths.

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. Bronze sculpture. 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. Oil on canvas. 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. Mixed Media. 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. Oil on table. 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. Mixed Media. 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.