For ARCO 25, we present “From the Museum to ARCO”; a project that reverses the natural flow of the fair, where works typically go from ARCO’s stands to institutions, museums, or private collections. It also reflects on how the history of art is present in many contemporary artists, as has happened throughout the centuries. For instance, let us recall El Greco with Pliny the Elder, or Velázquez with Titian and his portrait of the Pope, which was later reinterpreted by Francis Bacon. The gallery has posed this challenge to several of its artists, some of whom had already explored this idea, while for others, it marked a new direction in their work.
Artists like Eduardo Arroyo, for whom art was a great passion and the Prado Museum one of his favorite places, frequently drew inspiration from other artists such as Picabia, Velázquez, or in this case, Guido Reni. Arroyo reinterpreted the Cleopatra painted by Reni in the Baroque period, which is housed at the Prado Museum. Nacho Criado, another giant of 20th-century Spanish art, had Marcel Duchamp as one of his influences and dedicates this piece to him—an interpretation of La Boîte-en-valise, which includes references to some of Duchamp’s most famous works. Dutch artist Pim Palsgraaf is known for his large-scale installations exploring themes of urban decay and expansion, and as in all his works, he suggests the uncontrolled growth of cities. This is in stark contrast to the painting he evokes: Raphael’s The School of Athens, a fresco decorating the Stanza della Segnatura, whose architecture is firmly rooted in classical style. From the Netherlands comes the piece selected by Kepa Garraza, who often bases part of his discourse on the representation of political leaders and figures throughout history. On this occasion, he draws from Rembrandt’s famous The Syndics of the Clothmakers’ Guild at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, drawing inspiration from the “new bourgeois class” and their social aspirations.
Painter Simon Edmondson has returned to the Prado Museum, and as he did with Velázquez’s works in earlier stages of his career, he has chosen Fra Angelico’s The Annunciation to pay tribute. Simon highlights this masterpiece, which broke conventions of its time, not only for its iconographic treatment combining the Old and New Testament but also for its technical mastery, particularly the atmosphere and composition created by the Florentine Renaissance friar. Meanwhile, artist Ariel Cabrera has traveled to the Musée d’Orsay in Paris to select one of its most famous works, Luncheon on the Grass by Édouard Manet. Cabrera uses this piece as an excuse to introduce his characteristic Cuban characters, extracted from seemingly disconnected contexts, creating a set-like scene.
Finally, it’s worth noting the sculptural work at the stand. On one hand, José Cháfer has chosen The Majas painted by Goya in the early 19th century by commission of Godoy. The Madrid sculptor interprets both figures in Calatorao stone and solid black poplar wood, using their characteristic curves and counter-curves. These two pieces are part of his “Skins” collection, a project where Cháfer imbues his works with a “skin” that envelops the previous sculptures, which he considers the soul of his work. The sculptor aims to give them a solid and powerful body, focusing on tensions and masses. Lastly, sculptor Francisco Leiro, collaborating with the gallery for the first time, presents a mythological figure, Bacchus, depicted countless times since classical antiquity. In this case, Leiro has based the form of the trunk to create Bacchus’ pose, while also considering, among others, the Roman sculpture The Drunken Faun from the 1st century, displayed at the National Archaeological Museum, and even Michelangelo’s work.
This project not only highlights the connection between eras but also invites reflection on the lasting impact of the masters on contemporary artistic practices, thus enriching the dialogue between contemporary and classical art within the context of ARCO.
Alongside the Stand, the gallery presents a solo project by artist David Nash (Esther, UK, 1945), who, with over 40 years of career, is considered one of the leading figures of British Land Art. This project is dedicated to drawing, a discipline that has always been a significant part of Nash’s production and through which he documents his creative process. His technique involves applying raw pigment directly to paper, incorporating halos of color around the central form. While black carbon predominates, he occasionally introduces other natural tones, which refer, for example, to the color changes of oak leaves depending on the month or season, as seen in Oak Leaves Through May, where the color transitions from orange to yellow to bright green.
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