ARCOMadrid_2012 Gives the Netherlands Guest Status

Madrid: Two months after 2011 edition finished, ArcoMadrid announces its next guest: the Netherlands.

Within the Semana Naranja (Orange Week), organized by the Netherlands’ Embassy, IFEMA has just announced in the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED), Madrid, the participation of the Netherlands, as Honorable Guest, in the 31st edition of ARCOmadrid, International Fair of Contemporary Art, to be held on February 15-19, next year.

In the presentation, Luis Eduardo Cortes, Executive Chairman of IFEMA, accompanied by Peter van Wulfften Palthe, Netherlands’ Ambassador in Spain; Fermin Lucas, General Director of IFEMA, and Carlos Urroz, Director of ARCOmadrid, has highlighted the country’s solid artistic infrastructure, its dynamism and creative diversity, as well as the active collaboration between Mondriaan Foundation and the Netherlands’ Embassy, as key pieces for this selection, along with the objective of consolidating and boosting the presence of new Dutch galleries in the Fair.

This is how ARCOmadrid_2012 will promote through this program, that includes the presence of galleries as well as varied exhibitions in Madrid and the participation in the Experts Forum, an approach of national and international professionals who attend the Fair to the Netherlands’ art market, which is considered one of the main European Centers of today’s artistic scene, and provide a significant view on collecting, commissioning and criticizing in the Netherlands.

The program, which this year incorporates some important novelties, will count on a selection from the twelve Dutch galleries, that will be part of the General Program to promote professional networking and exchange in the Fair. Commissioner Xander Karskens is in charge of the selection, and he is currently responsible for the collection and international contemporary art program at Hallen Haarlem Museum.

On the other hand, Mondriaan Foundation will have an active collaboration in the program with the construction and architectural design of a Dutch Pavilion in the Fair so as to showcase the artistic panorama in the Netherlands, through the organization of round tables, projections, meetings and publications produced by the country’s public institutions of contemporary art. The innovative element will be the participation of a Spanish commissioner, who will be handpicked soon, to work with the Foundation in the selection of different contents to integrate the program in ARCOmadrid.

Besides promoting the exchange, as one of the Guest Country program’s key objectives, Mondriaan Foundation will invite, in July, the directors of the main institutions in Madrid to get a first hand look on the artistic activity carried out in the Netherlands, with art centers and artists as the axis of Dutch creative panorama, so they can handpick the artists who will participate in a simultaneous program, to be held in some of the main cultural center and art museums in Madrid.

Quality, ARCOmadrid_2012’s objective

After the positive reception of initiatives developed during the last edition, such as the emphasis on the quality of galleries and displayed works, and the commitment to collecting, ARCOmadrid has defined a similar guideline to be followed in its next 2012 edition, but it has also introduced some new elements in the program.

Regarding this subject, quality will remain the Fair’s main objective so, beyond studying programs presented by galleries, some innovations and changes will be introduced, as response to recommendations made by the participants.

One of the decisions is the reduction of minimum stand to 40 square meters, keeping the criteria of a limited number of artists to exhibit in terms of space. So stands between 40 and 49 square meters will present up to 4 artists; 50 to 59 square meters, 5 artists, and there’s no limit beyond 60 square meters. That’s how ARCO 40 program disappears by introducing this new initiative.

Likewise, and unlike other fairs, ARCOmadrid_2012 introduces a new proposal aimed at highlighting one artist per stand, so it hopes to encourage the implication of galleries in the special presentation of some of their own artists. On this subject, ARCOmadrid will specially highlight these artists as part of its communication campaign, as well as the catalogue and other communication supports.

As for commissioned programs, they’ll be continued in the Fair looking forward to finding new proposals from galleries and artists. Regarding to this subject, OPENING Program will repeat the same format it displayed during its last edition, so it’ll be dedicated to young European galleries under 7 years old.

On SOLO PROJECTS, that will continue dedicated to Latin America, the program introduces as novelty the participation of galleries with an interesting project created by a Latin American artist. So, the attendance won’t exclusively depend on the commissioner invitation, and it can be requested by all galleries, but the committee is to handpick the most interesting projects. Once again, this program will reinforce the exchange between Latin America and Europe, with professional meetings among directors of museum, art critics and commissioners.

The activities at ARCOmadrid will be aimed at promoting the presence in the Fair of the main collectors and art critics. The guest collectors program and the First Collectors initiatives or the invitation to the main art consultants, are combined with round tables on collecting, which are again coordinated by Rosa Martinez, and Professional Meetings. These meetings, started during the last edition, have allowed establishing the exchange of ideas among the most active professionals, as well as attracting a hundred of art critics and commissioners whose presence has been positively accepted by participating galleries.

All in all, ARCOmadrid_2012, with the presence of the Netherlands as guest of the Fair, will become Madrid into a meeting spot for contemporary art in February, and it’ll contribute to position the city as one of the top European cultural capitals.