Reina Sofia Museum acquires several artworks by Basque artists

In the context of the ARCO International Contemporary Art Fair held in Madrid from February 27^th to March 3^rd, the Reina Sofia Museum, leader among the Spanish Contemporary art galleries, acquired artworks by three Basque artists: June Crespo, Azucena Vieites and Nestor Basterretxea.

In the context of the ARCO International Contemporary Art Fair held in Madrid from February 27^th to March 3^rd, the Reina Sofia Museum, leader among the Spanish Contemporary art galleries, acquired artworks by three Basque artists: June Crespo, Azucena Vieites and Nestor Basterretxea.

It is the first time for a piece by June Crespo to be included in the Reina Sofia catalogue. The museum bought her sculpture Helmets (2019) as an example of the latest in Basque contemporary art. Looking back at the artistic trends popular in the 1990s, the gallery acquired Juguemos a Prisioneras (Let’s Play Prisoners, 1993-1996), a collection of 36 drawings by Azucena Vieites that illustrate queer feminism. Finally, to add to the museum’s collection of iconic 20th-century contemporary art, the Reina Sofia acquired the painting Composición de Grises (1957) by the distinguished Basque artist Nestor Basterretxea.

According to the ARCO management team, this year’s edition has been “the most successful fair in a decade”. The same can be said for Basque art: gallery owner Ignacio Mujika of Carreras Múgica, the only Basque gallery at the fair, was impressed with the achievements at the fair.

Many Basque artists exhibited their artwork at ARCO this year. Carreras Múgica included pieces by Basque artists June Crespo, Erlea Maneros Zabala, Jon Mikel Euba, Txomin Badiola, Itziar Okariz, Juan Perez Agirregoikoa, Ángel Bados, Asier Mendizabal, Pello Irazu, Sergio Prego and Raul Domínguez. Many other artists exhibited their work represented by other galleries as well. The gallery Moisés Pérez de Albéniz, for example, carried pieces by Basque artists Itziar Okariz, Miren Doiz and Ana Laura Alaez.

The Etxepare Basque Institute visited ARCO to promote Basque art at the fair and to contribute to the wider circulation of work by Basque artists.