Spanish fair Puro Arte returns with new name and new director

Strong work by Galician and international artists at Espacio Atlántico

VIGO. Espacio Atlántico is the new name for the Puro Arte contemporary art fair, held in the city of Vigo, in the region of Galicia, northwest Spain. The fair, which ran from 14-17 January, also had a new artistic director this year, David Barro, and general director Marta Scarpellini said this fourth edition was fundamentally different “in terms of quality, and the galleries attending brought the best works they have”.

A total of 52 galleries attended, including Fernando Pradilla and Fúcares, both from Madrid, and 15 galleries from Portugal, including Galeria Graça Brandão. Brandão also took part in Art Basel Miami Beach 2009, showing works by Portuguese duo Pedro Paiva and João Maria Gusmão, and Brazilian artist Lygia Pape. Gallery director José Mário Brandão said that during the first day at Espacio Atlántico he sold an installation by Brazilian artist Albano Afonso to a Galicia-based private foundation, Fundación Pedro Barrié de la Maza, for €15,000. The foundation bought work totalling €329,000 at the fair.

Espacio Atlántico profiled a high number of Galician artists as well as international names. Of the German artists on show, for example, Lisbon gallery Pedro Cera presented a work by Tobias Rehberger, on sale for €50,000, Madrid gallery Heinrich Ehrhardt showed a work by painter Georg Baselitz for €300,000, while Fúcares offered a photograph by Candida Höfer for €65,000.

For collector Carlos Rosón, president of the local Rosón contemporary art foundation, Espacio Atlántico “is important for Galician collectors, and it is also important that an art fair like this happens in Galicia”.

Published online at Market, The Art Newspaper, 20 de Janeiro de 2010 Photo : Miguel Calvo Courtesy : Espacio Atlántico 2010