Espacio Valverde opened in 2006 in the former concierge’s office of a building on Valverde Street, in downtown Madrid. Asela Pérez Becerril and Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart run the gallery, which for two decades has worked with Spanish artists from different generations and has developed projects outside its exhibition spaces, such as Casa Leibniz. It is currently presenting *Juguemos a gato en un toro*, an exhibition by Sandra Val consisting mainly of porcelain sculptures.
Gallery Profile
Espacio Valverde opened in 2006 at 30 Valverde Street. Asela Pérez Becerril and Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart are identified as the founders in an interview they both gave in 2016 on the occasion of Art Madrid. Four years earlier, Pérez Becerril had explained that the project began with a group of friends who were creating art and needed a place to exhibit it. The gallery occupied the former concierge’s office of a century-old building and maintained its headquarters there.
Pérez Becerril had grown up surrounded by ceramics. His mother ran a school dedicated to this discipline affiliated with the Institución Libre de Enseñanza, according to the gallery owner herself. Fitz-James Stuart studied philosophy before working as a programmer and designer. He is the son of Jacobo Siruela, publisher and founder of Ediciones Siruel. In a 2014 interview, he explained that his childhood had been spent amid literature, the family’s art collection, and his subsequent interest in digital culture.
Asela Pérez Becerril and Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart have jointly directed Espacio Valverde for most of its history. In 2014, they lived in the same building at Valverde 30, a few floors above the gallery. At that time, the rooms still retained the layout and dimensions of the former concierge’s office.
Elena Alonso (Madrid, 1981) is among the group of artists whose relationship with Espacio Valverde dates back to the early years of her career. The artist, who studied Fine Arts at the Complutense University of Madrid, works primarily in drawing and has gradually incorporated constructed objects and elements related to architecture into her practice. At the gallery, she presented The cover story in 2012 and "Composición de lugar" in 2013. Then came Soft Song in 2016, *Truco* in 2019, and *Fórmula* in 2022.
In 2015, Fitz-James Stuart launched Casa Leibniz, a project held during ARCO week at the Palacio de Santa Bárbara. The first edition brought together works by young artists along with texts written for the occasion. In 2016, a second edition was held, featuring thirteen galleries and twenty-three artists, most of whom were born between 1975 and 1985. Writers and philosophers also participated, including Félix de Azúa, Andrés Barba, and Javier Gomá.
The gallery continues to be directed by Asela Pérez Becerril and Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart from Valverde 30. In recent years, it has regularly participated in ARCOmadrid. At the 2025 edition, it presented, among other works, a solo project by Luis Vassallo (Madrid, 1981), a painter represented by Espacio Valverde since 2013.
Program
Why Go
Sandra Val (Tarragona, 1979) lives and works in Madrid. Before studying fine arts, she worked as a window dresser in Spain and Belgium. In a 2025 interview, she explained that this work gave her experience in constructing spaces and in the physical relationship between three-dimensional structures and the public. She later earned a degree in Fine Arts from the Complutense University of Madrid and completed a Master’s in Art and Creation Research there. During that time, she began working consistently with porcelain.
In June 2025, CentroCentro, the Madrid City Council’s cultural space located in the Palacio de Cibeles, inaugurated Three Formal Experiences. The exhibition brought together works by Núria Fuster, Clara Montoya, and Sandra Val and was curated by Miguel Cereceda, a professor of Aesthetics and Art Theory at the Autonomous University of Madrid and an art critic. The three artists created new works for the exhibition.
Val's installation marked the end of the tour. It began in the garden and was related to one of the concepts discussed in Nature, History, God, the book that philosopher Xavier Zubiri published in 1944 and that Cereceda had used as a reference to organize the exhibition.
While that exhibition was still open in Madrid, the González Martí National Museum of Ceramics and Sumptuary Arts in Valencia opened "The Eroticism of Time". The state museum, housed in the Palace of the Marquis of Dos Aguas, houses collections dedicated specifically to the history of ceramics and the decorative arts. Val’s exhibition was conceived specifically for its galleries and ran from September 24, 2025, to January 11, 2026.
The Eroticism of Time was curated by Julieta de Haro, cultural manager and artistic director of CentroCentro. Val presented sculptures, installations, and paintings. Porcelain was displayed alongside glass and other materials she had used previously. The exhibition thus situated her contemporary work within a museum dedicated to the material and technical history of ceramics.
Val had previously worked with Espacio Valverde. At ARCOmadrid 2025, the gallery presented *Agon*, a project of his as part of the gallery’s participation in the fair. In September 2026, he returned to Valverde 30 with a solo exhibition.
Let's Play Cat and Bull opened on September 10 during Apertura Madrid Gallery Weekend. The exhibition text was written by Claudia Rodríguez-Ponga (Madrid, 1982), a researcher and curator of contemporary art. Rodríguez-Ponga holds a Ph.D. in Arts from the University of São Paulo and has researched the relationships between contemporary art, magic, and forms of knowledge. During the exhibition’s opening, she also presented her book *A Short Treatise on Art and Magic*.
The exhibition takes its cue from the game of “el gato” (the cat)—a name used in several countries for tic-tac-toe—and from the torus, a closed, ring-shaped geometric surface. The game’s rectangular board is transposed onto this surface. Rodríguez-Ponga notes in the text written for the exhibition that this causes the corners and stable edges of the conventional board to disappear.
What to Expect
Let's Play Cat and Bull, by Sandra Val, is currently on view at Espacio Valverde. Porcelain is the primary material used in the sculptures. There are small pieces constructed from overlapping elements and structures that form part of the interactive elements designed for the exhibition.
Tic-tac-toe provides one of the recognizable forms. Sandra Val replaces the flat, bounded surface of the board with a torus, a closed, ring-shaped surface. The porcelain pieces and structures are arranged on this geometric form.
Other pieces allude to technical components made of porcelain. The material has been used as an insulator in electrical installations and other devices due to its physical properties. Claudia Rodríguez-Ponga draws on this background in the text she wrote for the exhibition and relates it to the forms created by Val.
The works are displayed in the rooms of the former concierge’s office at Valverde 30. The installation preserves the space’s original divisions and arranges the sculptures throughout its various rooms. The exhibition uses porcelain both as a sculptural material and as a component of the interactive structures.
During Apertura Madrid Gallery Weekend, Sandra Val and Claudia Rodríguez-Ponga held a public discussion at the gallery about the exhibition. The day before, Rodríguez-Ponga had presented there *A Short Treatise on Art and Magic*.
Represented Artists
What to Do Nearby
Espacio Valverde is located at Valverde 30, between Gran Vía and Malasaña. Just a few minutes away, at Pez 27, is Cervantes y Compañía. The bookstore opened in 2012 and later moved to this building, which dates back to 1862. In addition to literature and essays, it carries poetry, graphic novels, and books on the performing arts. Its basement and other spaces host presentations, readings, and gatherings.
The Madrid History Museum is located at Fuencarral 78. It was established as a municipal museum in 1929 and is housed in the former San Fernando Hospice. Its collections trace the history of Madrid from the 16th century to the early 20th century. The Madrid City Council reopened the museum in 2014 after an extensive renovation. It is open Tuesday through Sunday, and admission is free.
For dining, Casa Macareno is located at San Vicente Ferrer 44. It's a Spanish-style tavern with a bar and dining room. It's open for lunch, and from Tuesday through Sunday, it remains open for dinner and late-night service.
Zenith Caffè - Valverde is located at 28 Valverde Street. It's practically right next to the shopping arcade and opens at 8:00 a.m. Its menu focuses on breakfast and brunch.
