ARCOmadrid, Feria de Madrid, 27 Feb – 3 March 2019
The International Contemporary Art Fair (Feria Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo or ARCOmadrid is now in it’s 38th year, and shows no signs of diminishing it’s commitment to showcasing artists from different environments, in a more personalised experience.
There will be a mix of galleries on offer, from the 20 galleries making their debut appearance to long standing exhibitors, and from both well established and more experimental galleries. This year, as before, ARCOmadrid builds on it’s reputation as a keen discoverer of new creative talents with a steadfast commitment to presenting new and ever ambitious projects.
In this edition, 203 galleries from 31 countries are taking part, with 166 galleries part of the general programme. Running alongside this will be the specially curated sections focusing on avant-garde artists and artworks, with ‘Peru at ARCO’ as this years guest nation. Featuring a selection of 24 internationally recognised Peruvian artists from 15 galleries, specially chosen by Sharon Lerner, Museo de Arte de Lima’s chief contemporary art curator.
ARCOmadrid has developed a well deserved reputation as the art fair that takes a closer look at the contemporary art of today. This year sees them continue their support of projects by individual artists with ‘Solo/Duo’. 30 of the exhibiting galleries will pinpoint attentions solely on one or two artists in their booth, to allow visitors a more in-depth view of their work. Something that is rarely found in the often intense art fair experience.
The ‘Dialogues’ programme, curated by Catalina Lozano and Augustin Perez-Rubio, will feature 13 galleries dedicated to only a couple of artists for a more in-depth appreciation. The space will host works from artists such as Luisa Strina, Patricia Ready and Ultraviolet Projects.
The ‘Opening’ programme, curated by Tiago de Abreu Pinto and Ilaria Gianni, highlights the work of 21 innovative galleries from around the world. Each with a maximum history of seven years to provide new aesthetic experiences to audiences. These include artworks from Francisco Fino (Lisbon), Clima (Milan) and Bombon Projects (Barcelona).
‘Special Projects’ will consist of a series of selected works, many of them large-scale pieces, specially commissioned for ARCOmadrid. Look for works by Sol Calero (Barbara Gross), Heini Aho (Anhava) and Waqas Kahn (Sabrina Amrani) among others.
A program of special speakers, panels and a speciality Peru Forum will open the conversation up between curators, artists and critics in a series of intense debates. The forum opens with a talk by Mario Vargas Llosa, followed by the Collecting Forum and the Artists Forum session.
ARCOmadrid has firmly established itself as the leading light for Latin American art, hosting work from 40 galleries from 12 countries in the region in a celebration of collecting in Latin America. Once again positioning ARCOmadrid as the bridge between Europe and Latin America.