Until Sunday, the eighth edition, returning to the Cordoaria Nacional building, will gather galleries from 17 countries – 30 Portuguese and 53 foreign ones – highlighting the presence of Spain, Germany, Italy, and Brazil.
“There are new developments, the gallery content will be very interesting, with new projects, and there will be a broad invitation to young audiences,” said director Maribel López during the event presentation on May 19 at the Design Museum in Lisbon.
In previous editions, ARCOlisboa offered free entry to young people up to 25 years old for an afternoon, but this year the management decided to extend free access to two afternoons, on Friday (May 30) and Saturday (May 31), starting at 15:00.
“We want the younger audience to engage with contemporary art, which is like a remedy to the world’s many problems. It serves as a tool to help us be more open and relate better to others,” commented Maribel López.
The fair will consist of three segments: General Program with 61 galleries, Opening Lisboa curated by Sofia Lanusse and Diogo Pinto with 18 galleries, and “As formas do Oceano,” a curatorial project by Paula Nascimento and Igor Simões, featuring projects centered on Africa, its diaspora, and other geographies in five galleries.
According to López, ARCOlisboa has “a very loyal audience, from various generations, because the city has a well-constructed contemporary art scene, with public museums, galleries, and private collections.”
“Our work is focusing on getting closer to younger people and encouraging the new residents of the capital to take an interest in contemporary art,” she added. “Many people also come from Spain, due to the presence of Spanish galleries.”
The international program will bring 150 guests to Lisbon, including museum directors, curators, gallery owners, and other industry professionals, “to give visibility to the fair” and to explore “the city’s offerings in this area,” López stated.
Over the past three years, attendance at ARCOlisboa has increased from 11,000 visitors in 2022 to more than 13,000 in 2023 and 2024, according to the organization.
This year will also introduce new awards, including the Museu de Arte Contemporânea Armando Martins Acquisition Prize (MACAM), launched at ARCOmadrid, and the Studiolo Collection — Candela A. Soldevilla Acquisition Prize from the Spanish collector.
Existing awards such as the Opening Lisboa Award, the Millennium bcp Foundation Award for Best Stand, and acquisitions from the ARCO Foundation and the Lisbon City Council will continue.
The General Program will feature the debut of galleries like Travesia Quatro, Duarte Sequeira, Set Espai d´Art, and Each Modern, while others like Vermelho, Nuno Centeno, Rosa Santos, Fonseca Macedo, and Las Misiones will return after a break, joining regular participants such as Portuguese galleries Vera Cortês, Francisco Fino, Madragoa, and Cristina Guerra Contemporary Art.
This segment will also showcase solo projects by artists Diogo Pimentão, Miki Leal, Andrei Ibarra, Amélie Esterházy, Sonia Navarro, Justin Weiler, and Manuel M. Romero.
The “As Formas do Oceano” curated sector will include five galleries: African Arty (Morocco), Afronova (South Africa), Christophe Person (France), Karla Osorio (Brazil), and Reiners Contemporary Art (Spain).
This 8th edition of ARCOlisboa also includes visits to museums and art galleries, book presentations, talks, and debates.
The official opening is scheduled for 16:30 at the Cordoaria Nacional, with the presence of the Minister of Culture Dalila Rodrigues and Lisbon City Council President Carlos Moedas, who will tour the fair.
