O Art International Brings Mexican Alebrijes and Spanish Bullfighting Together in Madrid for the First Time
O Art International — the parent company of OZA International — is launching one of its most ambitious cultural projects to date. In May 2026, the company will present "México & España en la Arena: Alebrijes y Toros" in Madrid, an exhibition that brings together two of the most emotionally charged artistic traditions in the world: the Mexican alebrije and the Spanish art of tauromaquia.
It marks the first time these two worlds have met on Spanish soil, and O Art International is making it happen in collaboration with La Consentida de Dore.
The exhibition centers on a series of twelve unique, hand-carved sculptures created in San Martín Tilcajete, Oaxaca — widely recognized as the birthplace of the alebrije. Each piece is carved from copal wood by master artisans whose families have practiced this craft for generations. But what makes this collection unlike anything seen before is the form: every alebrije takes the shape of a bull in full faena, capturing the tension, bravura, and dramatic movement of bullfighting's most intense moment.
Over these sculptural bulls, the full visual language of the alebrije tradition comes alive. Vivid colors, symbolic patterns, and a distinctive engraving technique across the bull's back depict key moments of the bullfight. The result is a fusion where the ephemeral nature of the arena — an art form that happens once and disappears — finds permanence in the enduring materiality of copal wood.
The symbolism runs deep. Every motif painted onto these works draws from the Zapotec civilization, one of Mesoamerica's oldest and most culturally rich traditions. The grecas reference the mountains of Oaxaca and the geometric patterns found at Monte Albán. The house represents protection and community. The sun stands for hope and renewal. The ant symbolizes collective effort and perseverance. The butterfly evokes transformation, and the ram embodies quiet, resilient strength. Together, these elements transform each bull into a contemporary alebrije — a creature where cultural memory and artistic imagination coexist.
For O Art International, this exhibition represents a core part of the company's mission: creating meaningful encounters between cultures through art. Rather than framing Mexico and Spain as opposites, the show reveals what these two traditions share — a deep inheritance of ritual, passion, and art that lives at the edge between beauty and risk.
The twelve works in this collection are unique and unrepeatable. Each one is a dialogue between matter and myth, where the bull — a symbol of force, character, and Spanish identity — is transformed under the gaze of Mexican artistry without losing its essence, while the alebrije — a creature of the impossible — gains monumental presence and physical weight.
O Art International and La Consentida de Dore invite collectors, cultural institutions, and art lovers to experience this landmark exhibition in Madrid in May 2026. It is a rare opportunity to witness, understand, and acquire a work where two cultural heritages intertwine through a shared emotional intensity.
In the arena of art, Mexico and Spain do not clash — they celebrate each other.
