In November we will go to MARS

The Castellón MARTE contemporary art fair will be held from 5 to 8 November in the Auditorium and Conference Center. The decision was announced during the last Madrid Art Week.

About the fair its artistic director Nacho Tomás Gil has commented:

After the success of the last edition, what challenges does MARTE have for this year?

We are very happy with the results of the last edition. MARTE is a consolidated project, which grows year after year in importance, quality and credibility, and not only in Castellón or the Valencian Community, but also nationally.

One of this year's challenges will be the quantitative growth linked to the number of projects shown at the fair. This will be done in a very controlled way, following the work that we have started over the previous years with the business sector of the province. We want them to get involved and participate in the fair to launch actions that support and promote patronage, and that facilitate the production of artistic projects.

What has MARTE contributed to the artistic fabric of Castellón and the Valencian Community over the years?

MARTE contributes a fundamental piece in the artistic complex: the fair itself. It must be remembered that at the moment there is no contemporary art fair in the entire Levante area. MARTE has become the meeting place for agents of the contemporary art market, artists, galleries, private and public institutions, curators, art dealers, collectors; a space where both transactions and contacts, collaborations, synergies and others can be generated.

Also, the fair has helped to make visible artists, curators, galleries outside our territory; and in the same way it has allowed to make known to the public of the province and the Community projects, artists, galleries and curators.

What will be the big news this year? Can you tell us about the guest artist?

One of the novelties of this year is the start of a program within the fair itself dedicated specifically to contemporary ceramics, where we can see different artistic projects linked or with a common link: the use of ceramics as a base material for production. Our province is a world reference in the production of this material and, for this reason, we are firmly committed to putting it into value through MARTE . It is a way of supporting artistic creation and raising awareness of one of the industries that make up our territory.

It would also highlight a new project linked to patronage and aid for artistic production in complicity with the business fabric.

As for the guest artist, we are working on it, shortly I think we will be able to announce it, but right now we prefer not to advance the name.

What future projection have you designed for MARTE in the next 3 years?

We work hard to make MARTE a benchmark for emerging contemporary art in the coming years, and the perfect setting where the public begins and consolidates its role as a collector.

We aspire to not stop growing both quantitatively and qualitatively, although without losing sight of the necessary balance.

We have the support of the Castellón Provincial Council, the Castellón City Council, the Museum Consortium, the UJI and private companies such as UBE Corporation Europe, this will allow us to continue talking about the MARTE fair in three years and allow us to project for many more years.