May: Month of “Open Art” in Madrid

Within the two central weeks of May, we are going to attend two interesting events in Madrid, which we could describe as paradigmatic examples of new parallel circuits for different representatives from the so-called “world of art” to meet and exchange. We are talking about Arte Open Views and Open Studio.

Arte Open Views – contemporary art in private spaces – is an itinerant initiative that is going to hold its second edition this year. After the first stage in Valencia in 2013, it now comes to Madrid. The project is set to turn private locations (private residences, bars, stores, offices, etc.) into exhibition spaces open to the public, giving the opportunity to visit eight artistic proposals curated by eleven curators, with the participation of thirty-four artists from different disciplines.

Arte Open Views is set to take place on May 16, 17 and 18. The project is going to be officially launched on Friday 16, at 19:00, LANAU Espacio Creativo (C/Mallorca, 4. local 3). The eight projects are going to be open to the public, on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18, at central spaces in Malasaña, Lavapiés, La Latina and Chueca.

The third edition of Open Studio will be carried out from Thursday 22 to Sunday 25. This event has become one of the most interesting contemporary art meetings in Madrid.

Open Studio was conceived to promote and spread visual arts in Madrid and it’s aimed at having the public closer to contemporary art, by facilitating free access to spaces where art is created: the workshop of artists. In the same breath, it looks forward to providing artists (both emerging and acclaimed creators) the opportunity to shed light on their work in front of professionals and the public. It also includes the market dimension of artistic production, which is vital for the creation to have continuity.

This year’s edition is going to be attended by twenty-seven studios and eighty-five artists. Furthermore, two new venues will be joining the list: El Ranchito and Tabacalera Estudios. The last one is nestled in the showers and cloakrooms of a former cigar factory in Lavapiés, thus representing the first time it opens doors to the public. Five Spanish artists are going to showcase a collective project: Josechu Dávila, Nuria Fuster, Maider López, Javier Pérez and Paula Rubio Infante. Click on this link to read more on the studios and artists that participate in this edition.

Just like in previous editions, Open Studio will also include free activities at the studios of these artists and the collaborating entities. Likewise, the 2^nd Fundación Banco Santander Award to the Artistic Production is going to be handed, which is made up of a three-month residency and 3.000 euros for artistic production. The winner will be showing the result of this residency on the 2015 edition of Open Studio. There are some new elements this year, such as a specific program for collectors, a program for national and foreign professionals and a year-long active educative program that will tee off with a magisterial lesson by Darío Villalba.

Thanks to these two interesting initiatives, May will become the month of “open doors” for contemporary art in Madrid and enthusiasts are going to have the opportunity to get in touch with artists, workshops and new artistic proposals.

Source: Nicola Mariani