ARCOmadrid 2018 reactivates collecting

From 21st to 25th February Madrid will become the focus of attention for collectors, galleries and art professionals from around the world as it opens its doors on the 37th edition of ARCOmadrid. With only a few days to go before its opening, the event has already seen a rise of 21% in advance ticket sales, not to mention an increased number of professional pre-registration requests.  Organised by IFEMA, this new edition serves to confirm its decided commitment to content quality. The substantial rise in the number, quality and international scope of the participation requests, allied to the intensive work done in collaboration with the Organising Committee and the curators of the programmes when it came to selecting the artistic proposals, has made it possible to present a Fair that not only maintains its size but enhances its quality.

As a novelty, and in keeping with its innovative vocation, this year's event incorporates the concept of The Future, as a thematic starting point, with an exhibition programme and unique design that encompasses galleries and artists of different generations from several geographical areas.

In addition to the foregoing must be added its consolidation as a Latin American benchmark in Europe; a factor that forms the essence of the forthcoming edition.

ARCOmadrid 2018 will bring together in Halls 7 and 9 at IFEMA a total of 208 galleries —49 of which are participating for the first time— from 29 countries, some 160 of which go to make up the General Programme, in addition to the curated sections: What is Going to Happen is not the Future, but What we are Going to Do with a selection of 19 galleries; Dialogues with 13 and Opening with 19.

In a context that has seen a certain recovery in the Spanish art market and sales, ARCOmadrid 2018 will continue to project its unique position as a benchmark for Latin America in Europe. In fact, Latin America will have one of the biggest international delegations, as one-third of the international attendees, which account for 68% of the total, hail from the American continent, with 35 galleries from 10 countries in the region, with Brazil's presence particularly standing out with its 15 galleries. Likewise, the number of special guests, professionals and Latin American collectors at ARCO is also on the up. These figures confirm that the show is the meeting place for exchanges between Europe and Latin America.

Moreover, Madrid City is to hold exhibitions in museums and institutions highlighting Latin American artists and important art collections. Among these are to be found works by artists such as Doris Salcedo –Palacio de Cristal-; William Kentridge –Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía-, and John Akomfrah -Museo Nacional Thyssen Bornemisza-, in addition to exhibitions showcasing the following collections: Luis Paulo Montenegro -Fundación Banco Santander-; Helga de Alvear -Centro de Arte Alcobendas-; Soledad Lorenzo -Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía-; Banco de la República de Colombia -Sala Alcalá 31-, and Thibault Poutrel -Colombian Embassy-.

GALLERIES AND ARTISTS

ARCOmadrid can once again count on its mainstay, the General Programme, which is made up of the 160 galleries selected by the Organising Committee, among which the return of galleries such as Alexander and Bonin and Team, from New York, and Thaddaeus Ropac, from Paris, are particularly noteworthy, not to mention other important ones that continue to show their interest in the Fair such as Barbara Thumm; Chantal Crousel; Hauser & Wirth and Michel Rein, to which must be added first time participants such as Guido W. Baudach; König Galerie; Monitor and Van Doren Waxter.

As befits ARCOmadrid's constant search for innovation, its 2018 edition will take as its thematic centre neither a country nor region, but a concept: What is Going to Happen is not the Future, but What we are Going to Do, in collaboration with CNP Partners. This idea revolves around a programme of special exhibitions and events curated by Chus Martínez, Rosa Lleó and Elise Lammer, involving the participation of 19 carefully selected galleries and artists and encompassing several generations from different geographical areas: ranging from New York –Bortolami-; Rio de Janeiro –A Gentil Carioca-, and São Paulo -Nara Roesler- to Paris -GB Agency-; Berlin -Gregor Podnar-, and Vienna -Emanuel Layr-. The galleries in this section will offer collectors, professionals from the world of art and visitors alike, a personal vision of the future by featuring artists who have explored this theme in the past, such as Salvador Dalí and Július Koller; the dystopian visions of Lili Reynaud Dewar, Maryam Jafri and Eduardo Navarro, along with a framework within which to approach the art of tomorrow through the works of creators such as Teresa Solar Abboud and Eva Fábregas. Moreover, this reflection on the concept of The Future will likewise extend to other spaces around the city, where interesting exhibitions are also scheduled such as those at the Museo Thyssen Bornemisza, Matadero Madrid, CA2M and the CentroCentro, among others.

As in earlier editions, ARCOmadrid 2018 will also be presenting other curated sections. Participation in the Dialogues programme will bring together 13 galleries selected by María de Corral, Lorena Martínez de Corral and Catalina Lozano, the stands of which will generate new content and provide an in-depth presentation of the works of artists from galleries such as Luisa Strina -Carlos Garaicoa and Juan Araujo-; Fortes d'Aloia & Gabriel -Armando Andrade Tudela and Tamar Guimaraes-; Team -Ryan McGinley and Tabor Robak-; Carlier Gebauer -Hélène Delprat and Laure Prouvost -, and Dvir -Latifa Echakhch and David Maljkovic-. 

The Opening section focuses on galleries that have been up and running for a maximum of seven years. It will comprise 19 galleries, with one or two artists per stand, selected by Stefanie Hessler and Ilaria Gianni. A programme that affords an insight beyond the normal focal points, including as it does galleries such as El Apartamento –Havana-; Grey Noise -Dubai-; Sindicato -Santo Domingo-; Dürst Britt & Mayhew –The Hague-; Car Drde –Bologna-; Eastward Prospectus -Bucharest- and Tiro al Blanco -Guadalajara, Mexico-.

REVITALISING THE COLLECTOR'S MARKET

With a view to renewing and opening the doors of the market to new, potential collectors, ARCOmadrid is setting in motion several initiatives during the Fair. Firstly, those works on show with prices of under €5,000 will be marked with their price on the #mecomprounaobra tag to encourage new buyers to visit the galleries and acquire contemporary artworks. In parallel, the free buyer advice service will again be available during the Fair at First Collectors by Fundación Banco Santander, while at the same time boosting the Young Collectors programme by inviting some thirty young international collectors.

Along the same lines, the on-line Artsy.net platform will once again offer those interested an opportunity to explore the Fair and the works on show over the internet and by means of the Artsy App.

A series of actions aimed at guiding people who are starting to buy art and thus contributing towards encouraging collection forming and contemporary art which, let it be said, faithfully reflect the founding goals of Fundación ARCO. The new International Council is also working along these lines. It is formed by the award winners of previous editions of the 'A' Awards on Collecting, the mission of which is to showcase the work undertaken by private initiatives to support the creation, conservation and dissemination of contemporary art.

To all of the foregoing can be added the by now classic International Buyers and Special Guests Programmes, which will bring 300 collectors and 200 art professionals to Madrid from over 40 countries. Indeed, collector patrons and members of museums such as CAAC Mali; CAPC; Cercle d´art Contemporain; Contemporary Art Society London; Elgiz Museum; Jeu de Paume; La Maison Rouge; MAMCO; Metropolitan Museum of Art; MFAH; Parasol Unit; Peabody Essex Museum; Serpentine Gallery; The New Museum of New York; The Power Plant, etc., will also be present.

Furthermore, on the occasion of ARCO, national and international private companies have also signed up to initiatives to promote purchases and to acknowledge artistic creation, through the awarding of different prizes such as VI Audemars Piguet Award for the Production of a Work of Art; XI illy SustainArt Award; XIII Beep Electronic Art Award; III Solán de Cabras Art Award; II Cervezas Alhambra Award for Emerging Art; II Art Situacions Award; II Catalina D' Anglade Award, and the Han Nefkens Foundation ARCO Award.

ART PROFESSIONALS

ARCOmadrid once again lends itself to the voices of contemporary art professionals, thus consolidating the event as a place of encounter, exchange and essential knowledge for critics, curators, institution managers and other art professionals. The attendance of collectors and other agents linked to the world of art makes it possible to run an intense programme of debates as constituted by the reflection platform. 

This year, the Forum commences with the participation of Jonathan Anderson, creative director at LOEWE, to be followed by the, by now, well consolidated Collecting Forum which, in collaboration with the Fundación Banco Santander, presents sessions directed by Estrella de Diego, and others, with the support of the Ámbito Cultural de El Corte Inglés, by Judith Benhamou-Huet. There will also be a reflection on new collecting as part of the #mecomprounaobra in a talk moderated by Bea Espejo and promoted by Fundación ARCO, and another coordinated by Talking Galleries. Moreover, Spain's Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport is organising two presentations on patronage.

To these must be added the Latin America focused Museums Forum sessions which are directed by Ferrán Barenblit, Julieta González and Mari Carmen Ramírez.

Furthermore, the curators of the new section, Chus Martínez, Rosa Lleó and Elise Lammer will be directing a seminar entitled The Future: Beyond the Cristal Ball. A day-long seminar from the theoretical perspective made up of conversations and conferences to showcase important research, which will see the participation of Santiago Alba Rico, writer and philosopher; Timothy Morton, lecturer and professor at Rice University; Nina Power, philosopher, and the artists Trevor Paglen; Julieta Aranda; Ramaya Tegegne and Ana Vaz.

The Professional Meetings, which are closed to the general public, will also be dedicating one of its sessions to the #future. Other encounters are also to be held that will be directed by the curators Catalina Lozano, Stefanie Hessler and Ilaria Gianni, along with Mouna Mekouar, at which they can elaborate on and exchange information about the curated sections at the Fair. For their part, Ferran Barenblit and Julieta González, in collaboration with AECID, will direct the 7th International Meeting of European and Latin American Museums, which is set to bring some 60 museum directors and representatives together from around the world. A participation that will be completed by the Museums Working Session.

GENERAL PUBLIC AND DESIGN SPACES

The Fair will be devoting three days –23rd, 24th and 25th February - to contemporary art enthusiasts and the general public, for whom certain services and facilities will be made available for them to make the most of their visit. To attract a greater number of visitors, entry tickets on Sunday 25th will cost €30. Furthermore, should you want to get to know the artists and galleries participating at the Fair you can download its catalogue at arcomadrid.es

ARCOmadrid will make rest, meeting and food areas available to professionals and public alike, such as ARCOlunch and the Espacio Comer where visitors can savour an assorted range of food and drinks by Mallorca, Nonsolocaffé and illy caffè; Sushita and Solán de Cabras; Lateral and Cervezas Alhambra, Ron Zacapa and Arzábal, and Vilaplana.

As has become the custom in other editions, there will be a space for the younger visitors such as ARCOkids workshops, which have been designed by Fundación Pequeño Deseo and promoted by DKV Seguros, to bring the world of contemporary art to them.

Both architecture and design once again take centre stage at this edition with the participation of Andrés Jaque, in addition to Cuarto Interior, the designer of the VIP Lounge and Estudio Alegría, which is responsible for the Fundación ARCO Hall, not to mentioned other spaces with projects by Rossana Orlandi; Luis Bustamante; Guille García Hoz; Lázaro Rosa-Violán; Masquespacio and Gaston y Daniela.

PRIVATE INITIATIVE SUPPORT

Once again, ARCOmadrid has been able to count on the backing of private initiatives and important corporations and institutions through sponsorship actions in the different areas and initiatives present at the Fair. Accordingly, this edition has received the institutional collaboration of AC/E Acción Cultural Española; AECID; as well as Fundación Banco Santander; Audemars Piguet; Fundación Banco Sabadell; Ruinart; illy caffè; Caixabank; Solán de Cabras; Cervezas Alhambra; Ron Zacapa; La Galería de Canalejas; CNP Partners; CMS Albiñana & Suárez de Lezo; NH Collection; DKV; BEEP and Loewe, among others.

ARCOmadrid 2018, which is organised by IFEMA, will be held from 21st to 25th February in Halls 7 and 9 of Feria de Madrid, from 12.00 midday to 8.00 p.m.