The city's annual Apertura attracts a lot of international attention as around fifty contemporary art galleries simultaneously open their first exhibitions of the season. Coupled with a vibrant art fest programmed in museums and art centres, Apertura throws a well-deserved spotlight on the city's art and cultural industries.
Madrid will be abuzz both day and night from 19 through 22 September, when it kickstarts the contemporary art season. The city's annual Apertura attracts a lot of international attention as around fifty contemporary art galleries simultaneously open their first exhibitions of the season. Coupled with a vibrant art fest programmed in museums and art centres, Apertura throws a well-deserved spotlight on the city's art and cultural industries.
Organised by the Arte_Madrid association of art galleries, this fourth year of Apertura is set to bring in collectors, experts and curators from around the world to catch a stimulating, high-quality mix of artists and exhibitions.
Art galleries in Madrid usher in the new season with shows featuring international artists like Carlos Cruz Diez, Patrick Bailly-Maître-Grand, John Isaacs, Dan Flavin and Olafur Eliasson alongside one-person shows by Spanish artists like Jacobo Castellano, José Ramón Amondarain, Lluís Hortalà and Alicia Framis, and classic artists like Pablo Gargallo. Also well worth checking out are shows by emerging Latin American artists Ximena Garrido-Lecca, Laureana Toledo and José Hidalgo, among others.
In addition, Apertura 2013 has programmed visits to private art collections, as well as the ARCO GALLERYWalk tour of galleries, private visits to the Reina Sofía collection and guided tours of CA2M-Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo and Sala Alcalá 31. Plus lots of parties, social acts, brunches and extended opening hours for the galleries to round off an exciting four days in Madrid dedicated to contemporary art.
List of galleries
Álvaro Alcázar | Arana Poveda | Arnés & Röpke | Astarté | Bacelos | Bat - Alberto Cornejo | Benveniste Contemporary | Blanca Berlín | Blanca Soto Arte | Casado Santapau | Cayón | Distrito Cu4tro | Egam | Elba Benítez | Elvira González | Espacio Valverde | Evelyn Botella | Fernández-Braso | Fernando Pradilla | Formato Cómodo | Fúcares | Guillermo de Osma | Heinrich Ehrhardt | Helga de Alvear | Inés Barrenechea | Ivorypress | Javier López | Joan Gaspar | Juana de Aizpuru | La Caja Negra | La Fábrica Galería | Leandro Navarro | Maisterravalbuena | Marlborough | Marta Cervera | Max Estrella | Michel Soskine | Moisés Pérez de Albéniz | Nieves Fernández | Nogueras Blanchard | Parra & Romero | Pilar Serra | Ponce+Robles | Rafael Pérez Hernando | Sabrina Amrani | The Goma | Travesía Cuatro | Utopía Parkway
Program:
Thursday 19 September
5–10pm
Joint opening of all associated galleries
Admission free
6pm & 7pm
ARCO GALLERYWalk
Apertura in collaboration with ARCOmadrid have organised guided tours of different gallery areas.
Open to all
Friday 20 September
10am–2pm
Visits to private collections
Places limited, please confirm before 13 September
5pm & 6pm
ARCO GALLERYWalk
Apertura in collaboration with ARCOmadrid have organised guided tours of different gallery areas
Open to all
7pm
Visit to Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, guided by Manuel Borja-Villel, Museum Director; João Fernades, Deputy Director; and Rosario Peiró, Director of Collections.
Places limited, please confirm before 13 September
9pm
VIP Cocktail
By special invitation, confirmation required. Please confirm before 13 September.
Saturday 21 September
11am–noon
Brunch at galleries
Admission free
5pm & 6pm
ARCO GALLERYWalk
Apertura in collaboration with ARCOmadrid have organised guided tours of different gallery areas
Open to all
8pm
Cocktail reception (details to be confirmed)
Sunday 22 September
11am–2pm
Visit to Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo
Places limited, please confirm before 13 September
Different venues - Madrid