Talking Independent
A forum for discussing relevant topics with specialists regarding the national and international independent art scene within the framework of HYBRID Art Fair 2026
In collaboration with the Master’s Degree in Art Market and Related Companies of the University of Nebrija and with support for aid to fairs and festivals of the City Council of Madrid
Free entry until full capacity is reached
Friday, 6th March at 17:00
Expanding artistic careers: visibility, collaboration and new professional balances
Moderates
José Luis Guijarro Alonso
Co-founder of the Taide Program and 57 org, PhD in Art History from Complutense University, MA in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute, and MA in Contemporary Art History and Visual Culture. In recent years, he has worked in London for Christie’s and MutualArt. Currently, he is the Director of the MA in Art Market and Management of Related Businesses at Antonio Nebrija University in Madrid.
Participants
Ruben (Abstract)
Rubén Rodríguez is a self-taught contemporary artist based in Madrid. He has been developing his career as a painter for five years, based on experimentation. His work includes Swimmers and Underwater, linked to sport, personal honesty and the exploration of color. He exhibits internationally and participates in art fairs.
Mercedes Bellido
Mercedes Bellido born in Zaragoza (1991) moves to the city of Cuenca to study fine arts. During her university courses she starts to be interested in painting and decides to take it as the main technique of her work, complementing it with drawing and embroidery. Once her degree is finished, she comes to Madrid to complete her studies by doing a Master in Research in Art and Creation at the Complutense University. She has published her first book with the publishing house Lunwerg "The Hidden Book of the Animals in May 2019. She makes collaborations with brands such as Zara, Nike, Chanel, Bimba y Lola, Gucci, Suarez, Bershka, Uniqlo, Reebok, Eastpak, Urban Outfitters, Enate, Absolut, Brugal, Cervezas Alhambra, Ambar, Samsung, Vodafone. She also collaborates as an illustrator for some publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, El País, Traveller Conde Nast, and making billboards for music groups like Le Boogarins, My Expansive Awarenes, Baywaves, Calavera, Howls, Caniche Macho, Nueva Vulcano and Mishima.
Friday, 6th March at 18:15
Queer aesthetics and their impact on contemporary visual culture
What is queer in today’s art? In this talk, the analysis of different manifestations linked to artistic and visual expressions of LGBTBIQ+ communities will be carried out. Through them, discussions will be held that involve the importance of aesthetic and identity phenomena among contemporary cultural dialogues, and the importance of establishing historical and critical paradigms tailored to approaches related to gender dissent and sexual identity.
Speaker:
Julio Pérez Manzanares
Julio Pérez Manzanares
Saturday, 7th March at 12:30
When art can’t fit into a single screen
Moderates: Nieves Correa
She began her career in Action Art and Performance at the end of the 1980s and since then has participated in festivals and meetings in Spain and Europe, mainly but also in Canada, Ecuador, Argentina, Uruguay and Japan. Her plastic work is nourished by her own performances or has as its starting point a "performative process" in which the body, space and time are present. In most of her pieces she uses photography and video in relation to her body and in dialogue with elements and materials that she has used and modified in her live works.
Participants
Rachel Lamot
Rachel Lamot (1980) es una artista y comisaria española especializada en videoarte, arte digital y comisariado de espacios virtuales. Es licenciada en Bellas Artes por la Universidad Complutense de Madrid y amplió su formación en la Freie Universität de Berlín, donde también ejerció como docente. En Berlín codirigió la Fünf Galerie, desarrollando proyectos vinculados a la gestión cultural. Desde 2019 forma parte del dúo Glosopeda junto a Kim Rosario, con quien investiga el espacio digital como territorio expositivo. Han comisariado el pabellón MUSEO para The Wrong Biennale y participado como artistas en Server of Flesh. Entre 2021 y 2024 fue directora artística y guionista de Adaptasi Cycle, presentado en el Museo Pompidou. Ha trabajado para Balenciaga París y participado en The Wrong Biennale y Transmediale. Actualmente es docente en la Universidad Carlos III y en la Universidad TAI, y desarrolla una nueva pieza de videoarte en colaboración con Mit Borrás y Keiichiro Shibuya.
Alejandra Gradis Holguera
Alejandra Gradis Holguera es una artista, directora de arte y profesora nacida en Sevilla, criada en Badajoz y residente en Madrid. Cuenta con una doble diplomatura en Bellas Artes y en Diseño y Gestión de Moda por la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, además de formación internacional en la Universidad Politécnica de Milán y en la Real Academia de Historia y Arte de San Quirce. A lo largo de su carrera ha participado en exposiciones colectivas y realizado intervenciones murales en diferentes lugares de España. Profesionalmente, ha trabajado en dirección de casting, producción y estilismo para moda y televisión, destacando su participación en Drag Race España. Su obra ha sido publicada en revistas como Vein Magazine y Metal. Su práctica artística explora emociones como el dolor y la nostalgia mediante objetos, sonidos y experiencias físicas, investigando la identidad desde una perspectiva interdisciplinar influida por la música y la literatura.
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