ARCO is the Madrid-based contemporary art fair where 164 galleries from 30 countries come together, making its Spain’s biggest art event. It is the best place to enjoy (and buy) paintings, sculpture, photography, drawings, prints, mixed media, video and installations and meet some of the world’s top gallery owners, curators and collectors in Spain. It’s ranked in the top 5 art fairs in the world. 25,000 people attended the first ARCO in 1982 that featured the work of 90 galleries. Last year 150,000 people went to see the 201 galleries; of which 133 came from outside Spain.
Why is it worth a trip?
It’s a perfect place to find historical avant-garde work as well as the cutting edge contemporary art. And with the international art community in town, the Prado, Reina Sofia, Thyssen and other museums pull out all the stops. If that isn’t enough to lure you, the VAT reductions on artwork in Spain from 21 to 10 percent make it a great year to buy art from a Spanish gallery.
Slipstream Travel Diaries 