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The ARCO Foundation celebrates its 30th edition of the “A” Awards for Collecting
The ARCO Foundation has celebrated the 30th edition of the “A” Awards for Collecting, recognizing the work of collectors and institutions that have distinguished themselves through their commitment to contemporary art and the significance of their art collections. This year, the awards honored four collections, each with a unique approach representative of contemporary collecting.
Juan Antonio Pérez Simón: Helga de Alvear “A” Award
The Pérez Simón Collection, winner of the Helga de Alvear “A” Prize, comprises more than 4,000 paintings, sculptures, and drawings, as well as a remarkable collection of decorative arts. Considered one of the most important private collections in the world, it also boasts a library of over 50,000 volumes, which supports the study and research of the collection itself.
The Pérez Simón collection spans from the Old Masters of the Late Middle Ages and the European Renaissance to the late 18th century, featuring artists such as Spinello Aretino, Benvenuto di Giovanni, Canaletto, Tiepolo, Bronzino, and Veronese. It also includes a significant collection of 17th-century Flemish and Dutch paintings and works by major masters of New Spanish painting, including Rodríguez Juárez, Miguel Cabrera, José de Páez, José de Alcíbar, and Manuel de Arellano.
Laurent Dumas: “A” Award for International Collecting
The “A” International Collecting Award has been given to Laurent Dumas, whose collection, formed over more than twenty years, has become an essential reference for understanding the evolution of French art from the sixties to the present.
His collection is characterized by monumental formats and a historical journey that includes the adaptation of art to the media-driven society of the 1960s, the resurgence of painting and sculpture in the 1980s and 1990s, and the new practices of 21st-century French art. Through his collection, Dumas raises questions about humanity, memory, and the past, revealing a singular coherence despite the diversity of artists and styles.
Gabriel Calparsoro: Award “A” National Private Collection
The Calparsoro Collection has been recognized with the “A” National Private Collection Award. Built over fifteen years, this collection reflects a deliberate and deeply investigative approach, guided by the collector's emotional connection to contemporary artistic practices.
Currently comprising some 170 works including photography, sculpture, painting and video art, the collection stands out for its international character and for its interest in social and political discourses, as well as for the life experience of the collector outside of Spain.
MACBA Studio: “A” Young Collectors Award
Finally, the “A” Young Collectors Award has been given to MACBA Studio, an initiative of the Fundació MACBA created in 2022 that fosters emerging collecting among young people up to 35 years old. The platform seeks to build an active community that sees art as a tool for generating critical thinking, new perspectives, and ways of understanding the present.
MACBA Studio brings together young collectors at different stages of their careers, offering exclusive experiences such as visits to artists' studios, meetings with curators, gallery tours, preferential access to fairs and cultural trips, promoting active participation and a deep connection with the local, national and international art ecosystem.
