Added Jun 27, 2025
20 June 2025
Last Monday, Captaloona Art was full, crowded with artists, friends, and curious passersby to celebrate the opening of Doodles. Those who attended were able to take a first look at 18 incredible artworks that were born from the inspiration of an uninvolved doodle.
Doodles is the second volume of Loona Contemporary´s art magazine series: Unravelling the Unconscious. Doodles, when made while the conscious mind is occupied with other activities, are a manifestation of something within us. They are a free expression and, therefore, can be a secret and intimate language through which our subconscious speaks to us. The curious thing is that often, our doodles repeat the same stylistic elements even years apart. They do so until they are freed from their cage. The subconscious speaks to us and demands its own protagonist, which is why it must be listened to. By doing so, we grant it the dignity it deserves. If the first stage, Transitions, serves to identify disobedience in the moment we shift from one artistic expression to another—recognizing in this disobedience its subconscious origin—the second stage, Doodles, is instead the identification of obedience. When we doodle freely, our hands obey an impulse that is released. Transforming doodles into works of art, regardless of their aesthetic value, is necessary for the doodle to have a life of its own and shape itself in our artistic journey as an intimate "suggestor." The third stage of the journey, Angels, is the result of the search for an inner voice that, after identifying disobedience and obedience, manifests itself with greater freedom. The angel is not the winged, blond, long-haired, white, and beautiful being, but rather an intimate and profound "suggestor", an "awakener" of wonder. This third stage will consist of representing this voice that "suggests," "indicates," "opens" perceptual levels. In short, it "guides" us.
The artists who are displaying works in both the magazine and in the gallery include: Victoria Márquez, Marina Surovikova, Isabelle Bauer, Nadia Chellaoui, Loubna Benchekroun, SAsenjo, Jorge Migues, Carlos H. Sacristán, Aleksandra Jost, Felipe Alarcón Echenique, Cornelius, Czili, Mercè Iglesias, Miguel García Martín, Nora Prialis, Teresa Jimeno, Romseneí, Ana Dorcu and guest artists: Alberto Blanco, poet, and Alejandro Carballo, composer.
The event was curated and directed by Claudio Fiorentini, owner of Captaloona Art and Loona Contemporary. In the first page of the magazine, he states that doodling is pointless, yet it’s a free act where the subconscious imprints itself in a language of its own, that belongs to us. Creating should always be encouraged, even if it takes many attempts to attain a usable idea.
The exhibition opening took place at Captaloona Art, Andrés Mellado 55, Madrid, on Monday, June 16th. It started at 19:00, the artwork was presented by Fiorentini and discussed by some artists around 20:00, followed by conversations with the artists and refreshments. Although Alejandro Carballo was unable to attend and play his music live, it was played to the guests during the evening. The physical copies of the magazine had not yet been delivered by the time of the event, but guests were able to view a looping slideshow of the magazine in digital form.
As viewers look and digest the artwork, they see each artist's ability to transform a subconscious, maybe even avoided, idea into a work of art. To assist, artists include a poem beside their artwork that helps to verbalize and elevate the emotions depicted in each painting.
For those who missed this event, visitors are welcome in the gallery to view these spectacular pieces until June 28th. Printed magazines are now available to purchase as well.
As visitors exit Doodles, they’re left with more than just visual impressions – they carry questions and curiosity. Freedom of expression through doodling isn’t just displayed here; it’s dissected and reimagined. This isn’t the end of the conversation. The third edition of Unravelling the Unconscious will be released in the fall. Captaloona Art and Loona Contemporary promise this is only the beginning.