Minister Arhinmäki in Madrid: ARCO Fair a great opportunity for Finnish contemporary art
Finland is the guest of honour at the ARCOmadrid Contemporary Art Fair (19-23 February), which opens officially on Thursday. Minister of Culture and Sport Paavo Arhinmäki, who is visiting the fair, opened the #FocusFinland programme on Wednesday afternoon. The programme consists of exhibitions from 13 art galleries, the Kiasma Lounge and the #FocusFinland Pavilion, as well as an extensive lateral programme.
The annual ARCOmadrid Fair is one of the most important art events in the Spanish-speaking world. According to Minister Arhinmäki, having guest of honour status gives Finland the possibility to showcase different forms of Finnish contemporary art in a versatile and extensive manner, and to establish contacts.
?The Finnish art world should be proud that interest has been shown on the part of ARCOmadrid toward Finnish contemporary art and its top artists,? Arhinmäki said in his opening speech.
?#FocusFinland is not only showcasing Finnish contemporary art - it also offers an excellent opportunity for artists and art professionals to network. #FocusFinland is a forum in which international curators and collectors can meet and establish connections,? Arhinmäki explained.
#FocusFinland showcases artists that have already achieved international recognition and brings forward young, new artists. On display are photographs, paintings, textile works, carvings and video art.
According to Arhinmäki it is important for #FocusFinland to extensively represent the entire range of modern art.
?Some of the galleries taking part in the fair are also internationally established, such as Galerie Anhava and Galerie Forsblom. However, there are also newcomers, such as Make Your Mark and SIC, which were invited to the section of new and rising artists at ARCOmadrid,? Arhinmäki said.
Lateral events connected with #FocusFinlandwill be held in different parts of Madrid during the week. There is residence activity at the Matadero Cultural Centre, and CentroCentro of the Cibeles Palace has a large public installation. The Trapézio Gallery has an experimental community art project. The Reina Sofia Art Museum will host a retrospective exhibition of the art of Aki Kaurismäki and a master?s course. The artist duo IC-98 will be on display at the Conde Duque Cultural Centre. IC-98 has been chosen to represent Finland at the Venice Biennial in 2015.
In connection with the opening of the ARCOmadrid Fair, Minister Arhinmäki will present the Finnish galleries to Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia.
Minister Arhinmäki's opening speech at #FocusFinland
Further information: Zabrina Holmström, Counsellor for Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Education and Culture, tel. +358 40 768 1284