Artika's debut appearance at arco meets with great acclaim

On 1st March, this year’s ARCO closed its doors. The fair has been a great success in terms of visitor numbers: according to the organisers, it was visited by more than 100,000 people, and they also recorded a 10% increase in figures for the professional sector and collectors from all over the world. 

For several days, all eyes in the world of contemporary art were focused on Ifema’s halls 7 and 9, which featured the presence of 218 galleries, 47 of which were from South America – a fact that highlights the rise and general healthy state of countries such as Colombia, which was this year’s guest country. 

On the second day of the event, and accompanied by Carlos Urroz, Director of ARCO, their Royal Highnesses King Felipe and Queen Letizia officially opened the 34th ARCO fair. They were also attended by leading names from the government and the world of art and culture, including José Ignacio Wert, Minister of Education, Culture and Sports, Ana Botella, Mayor of Madrid, and Baroness Thyssen, Carmen Cervera. 

Against this backdrop, Artika made an impressive debut in terms of its participation and presence in the well-known art fair by organising a cocktail reception at the Hotel Palace. The reception was attended by more than 500 guests, including gallery owners, collectors and professional people from the world of art and culture. The event was also notable in that it gave the guests the opportunity to admire 58, the latest artist’s book from Artika, produced by the sculptor Jaume Plensa. 

In the fair, meanwhile, the Artika section was very popular among visitors, who were particularly fascinated by Anna’s face, the sculpture created by the Barcelona-born artist. While many people were interested in Plensa’s latest work, great attention was also shown to all the work done by Artika during the 12 years of its existence, during which time the company has specialised in publishing artist’s books on leading figures from the art world, including Joaquín Sorolla, Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró and Miquel Barceló. 

In the words of Artika’s team at ARCO, “It’s the ideal environment in which to discover new things and to promote oneself in the world of art, and a great opportunity to ensure that our works reach a broader, more specialised audience.”