ARCOmadrid Highlights Around 160 Galleries from over 30 Countries

Written by Edward Overstrand Saturday, 11 February 2012 00:36

Madrid.- ARCOmadrid 2012 will be held in Halls 8 & 10 of the Feria de Madrid from February 15th through February 19th. The work on view covers the historical avant-gardes, classic contemporary and Emerging art. Around 160 galleries from over 30 country clubs will be showing paintings, sculpture, installations, photography, video, new media, drawings, and multiple editions. For the second year running ARCOmadrid presents "Opening - Young European Galleries", a highly successful programme designed to show and support young gallery projects from the Old Continent. On this occasion, Manuel Segade, curator and art critic, has been responsible for choosing the 25 galleries, from 10 different countries, that will give an overview of Europe's younger creators. Many of the emerging galleries that took part last year have asked if they can come back to the fair.

The loyalty of these gallerists to ARCOmadrid confirms the success of this curated section, a real international showcase for European galleries less than seven years old. The selection highlights both the geographical diversity of the galleries and the different focuses of their projects. The biggest presence comes from Berlin, one of the liveliest centres of art on the European scene today. The German contingent is made up of 7 galleries: Aanant & Zoo, Arratia Beer, Peres Projects and Tanya Leighton, repeating their experience of last year, Figge von Rosen, Isabella Bortolozzi and Klemm's, who are all taking part in ARCOmadrid for the first time. Also making its debut at the fair is the Romanian gallery Ivan Galeria, based in Bucharest, while the Portuguese gallery NUNO CENTENO, from Oporto, is taking part in OPENING for the second time, with a selection of emerging international contemporary art.


With the collaboration of the Mondriaan Foundation and the Dutch Embassy in Spain, ARCOmadrid 2012 will also present the "Focus: The Netherlands" programme, in which 14 Dutch galleries will participate and display the best of their exhibition programmes. The guest country's proposal will also feature an exhibition programme at Madrid's principal museums and art centres, helping both to publicise Dutch contemporary art in Spain and to promote the presence of the most relevant elements of the country's collecting, curating and criticism. Xander Karskens (Breda, 1973), currently in charge of the collection and the programme of international contemporary art at Museum De Hallen Haarlem, has picked the galleries which will be participating. The programme includes established galleries together with some emerging ones. While most are based in Amsterdam, some are from other Dutch cities, such as the West Gallery, located by one of The Hague's picturesque canals from where it embarks on a programme which challenges public perceptions of art. It will attend ARCOmadrid –for the second straight year as in 2011 it formed part of the "Opening" programme, with works by Lotte Geeven, Marius Lut and the collective formed by Simona Denicolai and Ivo Provoost.

Arriving at the Fair from the centre of Rotterdam is the Wilfried Lentz gallery, which offers an international contemporary art programme with a special focus on works reflecting upon the environment from a cultural and social stance and upon the stories and myths which shape culture. At ARCO, Lentz will present an extensive project by Wendelien van Oldenborgh, including her most recent film. Another of the programme's proposals comes from the Fons Welters gallery which has enjoyed a lengthy history in Amsterdam's gallery quarter. At its stand, it will exhibit the Enjoy Poverty project by Dutch artist Renzo Martens, and a large multidisciplinary installation by Gabriel Lester, together with works by Pere Llobera. Meanwhile, the Martin van Zomeren gallery will use its space to exhibit works by Dutchwoman Katja Mater and a young Dutch-Iranian artist, Navid Nuur. The latter was selected at the 54th Venice Bienale and will also be the object of an individual exhibition at Matadero Madrid as part of ARCOmadrid's parallel programme of activities. The Jeanne Hofland gallery will devote its space to the French artist of Egyptian origin, Dina Danish, and Japan's Rumiko Hagiwara, providing a clear indication of the cosmopolitan nature of contemporary Dutch art. Both were resident artists at Amsterdam's Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten.


Enjoying a growing profile are the Zingerpresents gallery and the new Tegenboschvanvreden, founded in 2009, which devote a major part of their programme to installations and performances. They will join international galleries, the Galerie Juliette Jongma, which specialises in emerging art; Motive Gallery, which works with conceptual art, photography and video; and Diana Stigter, all of them making their debuts at ARCOmadrid. However, there are also Dutch galleries which have already enjoyed a long history at ARCOmadrid and which, on this occasion, have been selected as part of the guest country programme.

ARCOmadrid organises an exclusive Collectors International Programme, inviting guest collectors to visit ARCOmadrid 2012 and discover the excellent cross-section of art on view at the fair. With This Programme, ARCOmadrid Guarantees the Presence of a large group of collectors and buyers turn, nominated by Participating galleries, who will visit the fair and, Above All, which is ensure a volume of business. There is a forum which serves as the meeting place par excellence for the international art community, where 'renowned players can exchange ideas, and projects while, at once, Interacting with Exhibiting galleries. It is a unique platform for analysis and discussion on art production, creation, appreciation and presentation. ARCOmadrid 2012 has put in place a special International Buyers Programme to Encourage the Acquisition of artworks. The well-designed catalog contains 2012 ARCOmadrid information on all the galleries Taking Part. Similarly to last year, the fair can be visited online. Visit the fair's website at ... http://www.ifema.es

---

Click on logo below to add this article to your favorite Social Website ~