ARCO Madrid International Contemporary Art Fair this 2010
We are currently in the midst of Christmas celebrations, and unlike England the festivities go on well into the New Year and Kings’ Day, which is when the Spaniards traditionally swap gifts. In addition, that lull you’d expect following Christmas events is by no means on the cards as Madrid like any good capital or Spanish city is plotting further exciting activities, the reason for which it is such a popular holiday destination and why visitors can never get bored. Thus, soon after the Christmas celebrations have finalised the ARCO Madrid Contemporary Art Fair will be taking place for all you arty types out there and who are taking a post-festive break in the Spanish capital.
This 2011 edition taking place between the 16th and 20th of February promises to be a memorable one not just because they are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Fair but also because of the many new changes they are introducing and the response of the galleries.
Thus, a dozen Russian galleries will be showcased at the event as part of the FOCUS RUSSIA programme selected by Daria Pyrkina, curator of the National Centre for Contemporary Arts and Lecturer at Moscow State Lomonosov University. Similarly, the programme SOLO PROJECTS: Focus Latin-America will also be featuring in this exciting event with the assistance of Luisa Duarte, freelance curator from Brazil in addition to that of a prestigious team of other international curators.
Finally, at the same time they will have the section OPENING in this Art Fair featuring Young European Galleries that will be bringing together a selection of galleries no older than 8 years from all over Europe with special focus on art from emerging countries.
This Art Fair is widely accepted as having played an absolutely key part in the strengthening of the cultural industry and art in the then fledgling democracy in Spain. Furthermore, ARCO Madrid was instrumental in the emergence of art galleries and collectors, as well as a core event for the dissemination, promotion, and management of art in Spain. Finally, over the years it has demonstrated its ability to bring contemporary art closer to all audiences. These are the reasons for which museums, institutions, foundations, and of course galleries have always looked upon ARCO Madrid as the most effective way of publicising their activity.
Over the past three decades this Art Fair has shown us that there is a close correlation between the event and the wider Spanish art scene. It has developed a closer relationship with Latin America and has attracted an increasing number of visitors every year.
Consequently, the upcoming edition of the fair in 2011 is the perfect occasion to celebrate, thus in addition to the special exhibitions that will be featuring in the Fair, a number of activities and actions are currently being organised to commemorate the event. One of these consists of a photo exhibition overviewing the history of the Fair comprising photographs of the first edition as well as other photographs of past editions mirroring the progress of the Fair and marking the changes that have taken place over the years.
The calendar of events will be rounded off with breakfasts and encounters with collectors, buyers and the media, as well as with other special events. To summarise, the 30th edition of this Fair commemorates and celebrates ARCO Madrid’s tireless effort to advance contemporary art, its unquestioned contribution to projecting the image of Spain on the wider international art scene, and its evident input into Spain’s cultural world.
Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? So, if you’re in Madrid this winter season and this sounds like your kind of thing then head down to the ARCO Madrid Contemporary Art Fair to admire contemporary art from all over the globe and contemplate the evolution of the event.
