Whilst last year saw reports of Spain’s art market suffering an enduring recession, this year things have picked up. “The fair is much better than last year. I mean people are much more interested and active in asking questions about the pieces as well as purchasing,” said Adolfo Cayón, Director of local gallery Cayón. The fair’s organizers also celebrate the return of Spanish collectors on a personal, corporate and institutional level. The Museo Reina Sofia indeed bought 26 artworks, mostly acquired from Spanish galleries, totaling €348,884, that is €144,259 more than they spent last year.
It is this institutional participation that renders ARCO so popular among its loyal exhibitors, “I think one of the main reasons I’m really interested here is for the curatorial symposiums, the quality of curators and institutional representation, not just from Spain but internationally; there is nothing like this anywhere,” exclaims gallerist Christopher Grimes.
Whilst ARCO has always been a steady platform for Latin American galleries, this year the presence of Columbia as guest country gave particular reinforcement to ARCO’s role as the meeting place for Latin American art. A role which has been threatened in recent years by the rise in the geographically-nearer Art Basel Miami. “I was particularly happy with the Latin America section of the fair, we have seen many collectors from the region throughout the week who are supporting young artists,” explains ARCO’s director Carlos Urroz Arancibia. The Spanish fair is a worthwhile choice for these collectors, its age and attendance gives it credibility beyond the fairs that take place within the region, yet Urroz’s choice of Columbia as guest of honor proves that Latin American art is still of utmost importance.
Carlos Urroz Arancibia also revealed to H A P P E N I N G that next year’s fair is to highlight Spain itself in honor of ARCO’s 35th anniversary, “we are to explore and celebrate the evolution of contemporary art in our country” he explains.
An evolution that hasn’t gone unnoticed. In talking about the fair, Christopher Grimes explains, “I think it has certainly improved. It has changed from a variety of perspectives, but as has Spain, I think the institutions are more sophisticated, the collectors more broad minded and willing to consider work that they might not have considered 20 years ago.”
