A rich sample of Basque art at ARCO Madrid

Two Basque galleries will be featured at ARCOmadrid 2025 in the contemporary art fair’s 44th edition. Carreras Mugica from Bilbao will be part of fair’s general programme, while the San Sebastián gallery Villa Magdalena, founded in 2020 by curator and writer Cy Schnabel, will make its debut at the fair as part of the Opening section dedicated to new galleries.

Some twenty Basque artists at ARCO Madrid also show at other galleries: Sahatsa Jauregi (The Ryder gallery); June Crespo (Ehrhardt Flórez gallery); Nora Aurrekoetxea (Juan Silió gallery); Ines Medina (José de la Mano gallery); Mari Puri Herrero (Alvaro Alcázar gallery); Juan Luis Moraza, Manu Muniategiandikoetxea and Bene Bergado (Espacio Mínimo gallery); Esther Ferrer and Itziar Barrio (Angels gallery); Asier Mendizabal (Projects D gallery); Esther Ferrer (1 Mira gallery); Ibon Aranberri and Francisco Ruiz Infante (Elba Benitez gallery); Josu Bilbao and Itziar Okariz (Et Hall gallery); Elena Aizkoa (Rosa Santos gallery); Karlos Martinez Bordoy (Formato Cómodo gallery); and Nahia del Castillo (Prado Museum Stand).

Deputy Prime Minister Ibone Bengoetxea attended the opening of the fair, together with Irene Larraza, director of the Etxepare Basque Institute, and Imanol Otaegi, director of Culture at the Etxepare Basque Institute.

Bengoetxea visited the exhibit “Solar” by Navarra-born artist June Crespo, who lives and works in Bilbao, from the Ehrhardt Florez gallery (6 March to 4 April); the exhibit “The Illicit Meeting” by Gernika artist Gema Intxausti, in collaboration with La Taller de Bilbao, from Nadie Nunca Nada No gallery (5 and 6 March, by appointment); and “Misty Floors Wet Skies” by Bilbao artist Nora Aurrekoetxea, at the Juan Silio gallery (1 February to 29 March).

Bengoetxea also highlighted the Etxepare Basque Institute’s efforts in spreading Basque culture around the globe: “Etxepare is key to making ourselves known abroad. Language, creativity, and identity reflect who we are and help position the Basque Country on the world map. This is why the support and encouragement provided by the Etxepare Institute for collaboration between Basque and international creators, agents, and institutions are essential to the ´Global Basque Country´ strategy.”