Helga de Alvear, influential Spanish gallerist and collector, dies at 88

Helga de Alvear, a prominent collector originally from Germany who established one of Spain's leading galleries, has passed away. Her art collection journey began in 1967 when she purchased works from gallery owner Juana Mordó, with whom she collaborated starting in 1980. Following Mordó's passing in 1984, de Alvear assumed control of the gallery. In 1995, she launched her namesake dealership at Calle Doctor Fourquet 12, adjacent to Madrid's Reina Sofía Museum. Over the years, she showcased artists like Ángela de la Cruz, Elmgreen & Dragset, Thomas Demand, and Isaac Julien. De Alvear amassed 3,000 artworks, pledging them to Cáceres contingent on a museum's construction. The Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Helga de Alvear, designed by Mansilla + Tuñón, opened in 2021. Born in Kirn near Frankfurt, she relocated to Spain in 1957 for her studies at Complutense University of Madrid and married architect Jaime de Alvear Criado in 1958, who passed away in 2010.