Maribel López: “We must make it even more clear that contemporary art is a good of fundamental interest to our societies”

With a degree in art history from the University of Barcelona, Maribel López assumed the co-direction of the ARCO Madrid art fair at the end of 2018 alongside Carlos Urroz, and, as of March 2019, became its director. Previously, she had held key positions within the fair itself, such as deputy director, commercial director and coordinator of curated programs, consolidating herself as a leading figure in the contemporary art sector.

Ricard Planas Camps. How are you approaching this edition of ARCO 2025?

Maribel López. With optimism and positive feelings. This year we have added nine more galleries, reaching a total of 214 with very good quality. We have been working on it for months, first on the pre-selection and then on the selection. Perhaps the hardest thing is having to say no to a lot of interesting proposals, but we have a number and a level that we want to maintain. Last year we already saw a notable interest from international galleries, which we are also interested in capturing for the internationalization of the fair, and there are 90% of galleries that repeat.

RPC. And the galleries in Spain, what role do they play in this?

ML. We want to protect them, and we know that for a good number of them it is very important to be present at the ARCO fair. In addition, we also have a special sensitivity for the rebalancing of the entire territory, since the Madrid - Barcelona hub is powerful. However, high added value proposals are emerging all over Spain and Portugal that we must take care of. Working from the periphery or from the “new centralities” is never easy for all this group of high-impact cultural managers.

RPC. Furthermore, a fair is an artifact to generate culture, promote debate and reflection, provide an image, but, essentially, to sell and enable artists, gallerists and curators to make a living from what they do.

ML. Obviously. That's why at ARCO we have had two essential programs since the beginning: the collectors' program and the professionals' program. This year we are bringing together more than 350 collectors and art promoters from all over the world.

RPC. The international trade fair calendar is getting busier. Historically, ARCO was at the end of February, but the change was made to March. This year, is March becoming the month of ARCO?

ML. Yes, yes, it has worked really well for us. Also, it gives us a little more time and fits us into the dynamics of international agents. Right now, I just got back from ZonaMaco, in Mexico, where I met a lot of artistic agents that we work with daily in the different ARCO programs.

RPC. The Latin American market in Madrid and throughout Spain is a topic that is talked about insistently. Has ARCO noticed this with collectors, artists and galleries?

ML . Yes, it's obvious, the relationships with the entire American continent and, above all, with Latin America have been evident for centuries, interesting and of high added value for a fair like ours. We have this very much in mind in both the collectors' and professionals' programs.

RPC. At one point ARCO was offered to be in places like Mexico or Miami to channel this market. Was it a shame not to have taken that train?

ML. Many years ago, I saw it from a distance, still. It is clear that geostrategy and geopolitics are taking us there, but now we are doing this task from the peninsula (Spain and Portugal - Arco Madrid and Lisbon) and we are one of the prominent gateways to Europe for all this avalanche of creativity, innovation and money. We are also the gateway to the African continent, a new pole that is blossoming with determination.

RPC. Speaking of the market. How do you think it has changed since the pandemic and with the emergence of technology and social media?

ML. No one doubts that a new way of buying art has emerged. Technology brings people closer together—and also distances them—and makes these transactions possible. But there is a long way to go before the earthquake that was predicted to destroy physical fairs and galleries. Human contact in the dissemination of knowledge and creativity and in the transaction of artistic and cultural goods is decisive. In addition, we must make it even more clear that contemporary art is an asset of fundamental interest to our societies that must be preserved. In addition, I believe it is essential to prepare visits to complement the experience of the artistic visit, which is also a choreography. We can never abandon the value of presence.

RPC. Auction houses generally do not coordinate with artists and gallery owners, which ends up doing a lot of harm; by wanting to democratize art — supply-demand — they are undermining their market positioning and the work of gallery owners and cultural managers. How do you see it? Shouldn't there be a little more alignment in this regard?

ML. It's an area that I don't deal with, what you say has a lot of logic —there are always nuances— and the relevant unions should work along these lines. At ARCO we are open to all initiatives that protect this fragile ecosystem, of creators, gallery owners...

RPC. Let's talk about NFT. There was a madness a couple of years ago; are things starting to fall into place?

ML. I think so. It's a product very much linked to finance and even related to issues of security and property rather than being strictly linked to artistic creation.

RPC. Patronage Law?

ML. A powerful and well-deployed patronage law, as well as a reduced VAT, is essential to promote collecting and help creators and galleries to consolidate and compete with the same advantages as other similar agents around the world. And I reiterate that we must make it even more clear that contemporary art is an asset of fundamental interest to our societies that must be preserved and stimulated.

RPC. The Arco Foundation is a very powerful tool that was created in 1980. What can you tell us about it?

ML. It is a key entity that helps us a lot. It has a collection of 400 works of art, housed in the Dos de Mayo center. In the beginning, it focused mainly on buying works from galleries that came from the foreign market, to consolidate the foreign presence, but now it is rebalancing. They also hold activities throughout the year and have an annual party with awards for collecting during ARCO.

RPC. Finally, you came from the team of Carlos Urroz, the previous director of the fair. What do you think has been your differential contribution?

ML. Carlos and I worked very well together and it wasn't about breaking lines that had worked and that I myself had helped to structure. For example, the theme of Arts Libris —to reach a wider audience that visits us especially on weekends— and the consolidation of professional and collecting programs. When I took over the direction, in 2020, I was clear that the theme of the guest country, which came from 1994, from the time of Rosina Gómez Baeza, I believed that it should be overcome to go to topics such as the colonial legacy, gender issues and the climate emergency. I have also fought for the theme of the fair's catalog on paper, I think it is a fairly important tool. Paper, books, graphic works are essential objects to reach many citizens who want to have, enjoy and, why not, own a work of art.