Art

The Ministry of Culture and Museo Reina Sofía Acquire 26 Works from ARCO 2025

With an investment of €497,999, the Ministry of Culture and Museo Reina Sofía acquire 26 works from ARCO 2025, with a strong focus on women artists and underrepresented voices. Notable additions include pieces by Judy Chicago, Marta Minujín, Victorina Durán, and Juan Pablo Echeverri, expanding the museum’s feminist and Latin American art collections.

Por: Angela Leon Cervera
ARCO 2025
Luz Lizarazo, "Piel extendida", 2021. Courtesy of Museo Reina Sofía

The Ministry of Culture and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía have expanded their collections with 26 artworks by 19 artists from the ARCO 2025 art fair, investing a total of €497,999.

 

Notably, 73.6% of these acquisitions were created by women artists, primarily from Spain and represented by national galleries. This move underscores both institutions’ commitment to fostering greater representation of female artists, as confirmed by Jordi Martí, Secretary of State for Culture, and Manuel Segade, Director of Museo Reina Sofía.

 

The Ministry of Culture allocated €398,499 to purchase 22 pieces by 15 artists, including Laia Abril, Elena Blasco, Ángela de la Cruz, Victorina Durán, and Marta Minujín.

 

Meanwhile, the Museo Reina Sofía invested €99,500 in acquiring 4 works by Judy Chicago, Juan Pablo Echeverri, Daniel Steegmann Mangrané, and Luz Lizarazo. These acquisitions showcase the diversity and excellence of the fair, filling gaps in the museum’s existing collection.

ARCO 2025
Juan Pablo Echeverri, "Miss fotojapón #7 y #8", 1998-2022. Courtesy of Museo Reina Sofía

What Are the Most Noteworthy Acquisitions?

Among the highlights are Victorina Durán’s drawings, which establish her as a key figure of the Generation of ’27, and Maribel Nazco’s sculptures, which explore feminine eroticism during the final years of Francoist Spain. Another significant addition is Marta Minujín’s Frozen Sex series, a seminal work reflecting sexual liberation in Latin America during the second wave of feminism.

 

Additionally, the museum welcomes Judy Chicago, a pioneer of feminist art, through a video performance that holds historical significance in international feminist discourse.

 

The collection also expands in other artistic domains, with a textile piece by Josep Grau-Garriga, a master of the Catalan textile art school, and Robert Morris’ minimalist graphic art series, representing American minimalism. Elena Blasco and Ángela de la Cruz contribute works that challenge traditional painting by engaging with three-dimensionality, further shaping the Spanish contemporary art scene.

ARCO 2025
Jesús Rafael Soto - Penetrable (1982). Courtesy Museo Reina Sofia

How Do These Acquisitions Reflect Current Artistic Trends?

Contemporary themes emerge through several acquisitions. Marina Vargas reinterprets 19th-century academic painting to address cancer stigma, while Laia Abril sheds light on the ongoing reality of rape culture in the 21st century. Agnes Essonti, meanwhile, explores Afro-descendant identity through a photographic installation that delves into the African diaspora in Spain.

 

The museum also enhances its Latin American art collection with works by Luz Lizarazo and Juan Pablo Echeverri. Lizarazo’s work examines the fragility of the female body as an object of desire and attraction, while Echeverri’s extensive self-portrait series, created daily from 1996 until his passing in 2022, captures themes of identity, transformation, and self-representation.

 

Daniel Steegmann Mangrané introduces an intriguing dialogue between glass distortions, geometric patterns, and natural forms, inviting viewers to contemplate the relationship between nature, art, and architecture.

Why Does This Matter for Contemporary Art?

These acquisitions strengthen the museum’s collection while reaffirming ARCO’s role as a key platform for promoting Spanish and international contemporary art. The emphasis on women artists and Latin American voices signals a broader commitment to diversity, visibility, and representation in the art world.

Key Insights into the 2025 Acquisitions at Museo Reina Sofía

  • What is ARCO 2025? ARCO is Spain’s premier international contemporary art fair, held annually in Madrid, featuring a diverse selection of artists and galleries from around the world.
  • Why is the Ministry of Culture investing in art acquisitions? The Ministry supports the preservation and expansion of national art collections to ensure cultural heritage remains dynamic and representative of contemporary artistic developments.
  • Who are the most significant artists in this acquisition? Names like Judy Chicago, Marta Minujín, Victorina Durán, Juan Pablo Echeverri, and Daniel Steegmann Mangrané stand out for their historical, feminist, and conceptual contributions to the art world.
  • How does this acquisition impact the Museo Reina Sofía’s collection? The additions fill gaps in underrepresented areas, including feminist art, Latin American art, textile art, and experimental photography.
  • What themes dominate the new acquisitions? Key themes include feminism, identity, eroticism, self-representation, and the relationship between nature and architecture.

Explore the evolving landscape of contemporary art through these acquisitions. Stay updated on exhibitions and collection highlights by visiting Museo Reina Sofía’s official website and following their social media channels.

Receive the latest news

Subscribe To Our Magazine

Luster Magazine

Digital Magazine

Ingresa los siguientes datos y comienza a disfrutar de nuestra revista digital.