With 211 galleries from 36 countries, the contemporary art fair aims to restore pre-pandemic sales and attendance levels
More than two-thirds of the 211 participating galleries in the 42nd edition of ARCO (66%) are foreign. The new edition of the International Contemporary Art Fair, which takes place between February 22 and 26, aims to be decidedly international, although the focus is on the Mediterranean. The director, Maribel López, has blind faith in the attractiveness of her proposal and in the behavior of the market. In that money that takes refuge in art in crises and that allows us to return to pre-pandemic records and overcome the market “slowdown” of the past two years.
Without providing figures or specific estimates about the effect of inflation on the art trade, López senses an “enormous enthusiasm” among collectors and gallery owners that he hopes will translate into more sales. «Arco has its own health and is not obsessed with other exchanges which, although I will not name names, are our references. A quality improvement has been made in recent years and we want to maintain that”, the director boasts. “What makes the difference is not being obsessed with what’s happening here or there. ARCO will never be able to compare itself to other exchanges, because what we are trying to research is different,” he assured.
The most important fair on the Spanish artistic calendar, positioned in the European and international concert, returns to normal. No more masks and restrictions. Both the director and organizers of Ifema and its director, Juan Arrizabalaga, hope to restore pre-pandemic sales and attendance figures “and even better” and “that the market will be boosted again after a two-year delay”. This means that between 90,000 and 100,000 people will pass through halls 7 and 9 of the Institución Ferial de Madrid, with a general admission of 30 euros for the last three days of the event.
As usual, neither the organizational costs nor the real business figures are detailed either by the organizers or the galleries, this year 211 from 36 countries. In 2022, there were 185 galleries, 61% of which were international and from 30 countries. In 2020 there were 210 galleries present and 130 those of the jibarized edition of 2021. 21% of foreign galleries this year will be Latin American, mainly from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Peru. Europe and Latin America»
“There is a great desire to be here and a great desire to buy,” emphasizes the director who avoided assessing whether inflation positively or negatively affects the art market. Maribel López celebrates “the growing interest of international galleries in a fair that affirms its potential as an active marketplace and as a prominent place to showcase artists and promote knowledge and research on contemporary art.”
He emphasizes that his renewed commitment to internationalization “will be key to consolidating the recovery of the market”, making it clear that this international will “does not mean neglecting the national galleries, which we care for and protect “. He was referring to the 71 Spanish galleries that have an appointment at the fair, representing 34% of the total.
He also emphasized ARCO’s dual nature, “which is a commercial and market space and a cultural institution at the same time”. Some thirty international galleries from the general program are taking part for the first time in many years, such as Capitain Petzel, Contemporary Fine Arts, David Zwirner, Mendes Wodd DM, Nicolai Wallner, Rudiger Schotte or Timothy Taylor. There will be no shortage of industry giants like Perrotin, Chantal Crousel, Krinzinger or Thaddaeus Ropac.
As every year, the fair will present works by more than a thousand makers, both the historical avant-garde and the contemporary and most current art. Of the 211 galleries accepted by the organizing committee, 170 are included in the general program. There will be 47 galleries of the curated programs exhibiting painting, sculpture, installations, photography, video, drawing and engraving.
ARCO has withdrawn from the host country for several editions. Instead, it is committed to a theme that this year is “The Mediterranean Sea: A Round Sea.” The organizers understand that the thousand-year-old Mediterranean basin “remains a meeting place for non-hierarchical and comprehensible art.”
It does speak of a record number of invited collectors, more than 400 international collectors and 200 professionals from 40 countries arriving with all expenses “and at the direction of the galleries”. The exchange maintains its free advisory service for First Collectors buyers through Fundación Banco de Santander, which has advised more than 550 people in its 13-year history. In addition, it will again promote the Young collectors program, which includes more than 50 young international collectors.
Source: La Verdad
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