Navigating ARCO Madrid 2025 — Ninu Nina Artist Interviews

Mar 12

Mar 12 Navigating ARCO Madrid 2025

Architecture, Art, Creative People, Culture

For art enthusiasts and seasoned collectors alike, ARCO Madrid is more than just an art fair—it is a meeting place for innovative galleries, and an incubator for emerging talent. Over the years, attending ARCO Madrid has been a personal highlight, not only for the art itself but also for the connections forged within the global arts community. This year, while I couldn't experience it firsthand, I enjoyed the fair through trusted insights from friends in attendance. Here are some takeaways from ARCO, spotlighting some standout works and artists who are shaping the contemporary art landscape.

Carlos Aires: Holding a Mirror to Contemporary Society

Madrid-based artist Carlos Aires challenges our desensitization to global crises. His triptych Mirrors (2025) is a powerful commentary on how we consume images of violence and injustice daily. Composed of meticulously arranged black silhouettes depicting contemporary conflicts—from the war in Gaza to the floods in Valencia—Aires compels the viewer to confront the weight of these tragedies in an era of media saturation.

Sabrina Amrani Gallery

P420 Bologna & Adelaide Cioni

One of the most immersive presentations at ARCO came from P420 Bologna, which dedicated its booth to the mesmerizing work of Adelaide Cioni. Known for her interdisciplinary approach, Cioni blurs the lines between visual and literary art. Having initially built a career as a literary translator (bringing works by John Cheever and David Foster Wallace to Italian audiences), she transitioned into visual art as an extension of her intellectual explorations.

Jose Dávila: The Poetics of Architecture

Architect-turned-artist Jose Dávila continues to captivate audiences with his unique take on modernism’s failed utopias. His work, The Fact of Constantly Returning to the Same Point or Situation (2021), embodies his signature approach—melding painted wood, found objects, and mixed media to question the permanence of architectural ideals. Influenced by Donald Judd and Jannis Kounellis, Dávila’s pieces challenge the tension between structure and fragility, resonating with collectors drawn to conceptual depth and material experimentation.

Gallery Nicolai Wallner

Ernesto Neto

Presented by Fortes D'Aloia & Gabriel, Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto is known for his immersive installations that bridge architecture and organic forms, Neto’s latest works evoke themes of interconnectedness and spiritual reflection.

Why ARCO Matters for Collectors

ARCO has long been a barometer of shifting trends in contemporary art, and this year was no exception. From Aires’ socio-political reflections to Cioni’s literary-visual synthesis, from Dávila’s architectural discourse to Neto’s multi-sensory explorations, the fair underscored a renewed emphasis on storytelling, historical dialogue, and immersive engagement.

For collectors, the fair serves not only as a marketplace but as a space to identify emerging talent and conceptual movements that will shape the future of the art world. Whether acquiring a politically charged triptych or a textile-based meditation on identity, the key is to engage with art that speaks to both the present moment and the broader historical continuum.

Leila Antakly