Arco 2017 opens in Madrid with strong international presence and tributes to Kounellis

Arco 2017 opened at Ifema in Madrid with high attendance during its first professional days. Over 200 galleries presented works, with a notable return of major European dealers such as Lisson Gallery from London and Hauser & Wirth from Zurich. The fair featured large-scale paintings by Georg Baselitz, installations by Christian Boltanski, blood-red works by Hermann Nitsch, terracotta amphorae by Ai Weiwei, a neon piece by Alfredo Jaar, and works by Alex Katz and David Hockney. Spanish artists included Juan Muñoz, Miguel Barceló, and Angela de la Cruz. Other highlights included Roni Horn's photographic polyptych 'Cloud and cloud (Blue)' with a glass tank, Pedro Cabrita Reis's 'The Red October Suite' series, and a tribute to the late Iannis Kounellis: gallery Kewenig exhibited a triptych not for sale, while Galleri Bo Bjerggaard offered a 2015 work. Twelve Argentine galleries presented emerging artists like Diego Bianchi, Valentina Liernur, Sol Pipkin, Juan Tessi, and Alberto Greco. Galleria Continua dedicated its stand to Jorge Macchi, showing three large paintings and a concrete sculpture of the Tiber River. The fair runs from February 22 to 26, 2017.