MADRID, SPAIN.-The third edition of Art Madrid has sold 22 million euros worth of artwork and received more than 25,000 visitors The next edition of Art Madrid will include a space created specifically for young galleries.

The third edition of the Modern and Contemporary Art Fair, Art Madrid, held from February 13th to the 17th in the Glass Pavilion of the Casa de Campo, has consolidated its position as the second-largest contemporary art fair in Spain, both in terms of space and the number of galleries present. The fair, which has made a considerable effort to give more space and exposure to the work of up-and-coming, young artists, has once again emphasised its focus on quality.

According to figures supplied by the participating galleries, the fair's financial numbers indicate that sales have increased this year, reaching 22 million euros. This estimate is 10% higher than last year's event.

The current economic situation has meant that part of the larger sales concentrated around safe investments and well-established names. This tendency led to the sales of major pieces by Louise Bourgeois, Le Corbusier, Picasso, Tápies, Manolo Valdés, Barceló, Gordillo, Saura and Miró, one of the star attractions of this year's fair. Among next-generation artists, sales numbers stood out for Cristina Iglesias, Julian Opie, Jaume Plensa, Francesc Torres, Carlos Pazos, Carmen Calvo, Ximo Lizana and Equipo Realidad.

Art Madrid's commitment to young, up-and-coming artists has been rewarded by buyers, who purchased pieces by Pep Bofill, Willy Ramos, Janelle Lynch, Samuel Salcedo, César Delgado, Rómulo Royo, Alberto Reguera, Armando Mariño, Rocío Villatoro, Jacinto Moros, René Francisco and Stefan Hoenherloh, among others.

Art Madrid ‘09 will give more space to young galleries - In its next edition, in February 2009, Art Madrid will once again centre itself around the diversity and quality improvement of the displayed artwork. The fair will place special emphasis on the creation of a wide, open space as a platform for new art, whilst maintaining the same high standards of quality that comprise the fair’s meritous backbone. There will continue to be a space for the well-established artists from the historical avant-garde periods who are not present in other fairs.

This edition included a total of 80 galleries, of which the majority – approximately 59 – were Spanish, six were South American, four were from the United States, ten were European and one hailed from Korea. Through all of these galleries, visitors could purchase the work of 650 international and Spanish artists.

Interest in the fair was reflected in the event’s massive media presence, with attendance from over 350 Spanish and international accredited journalists (from Portugal, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil, Taiwan and Japan), as well as radio, television and newspaper coverage.

Public attendance of Art Madrid was extremely high, particularly during the weekend. Visitors remarked on the overall high quality of the displayed artwork, the clarity of the layout, the user-friendly stands, and they welcomed the outstanding presence of sculpture in the fair.

Representatives from several Regional authorities visited Art Madrid - Public figures from a number of Regional governments supported the presence of the artists and galleries from their respective regions at the fair. Personalities included the President of the Balearic Islands Regional Government, Francesc Antich, the Mayor of Palma de Mallorca, Aina Calvo, the Balearic Government Councillor of Art and Culture, Bárbara Galmés, the Regional Government of Valencia Cultural Councillor, Trinidad Miró, the Regional Government of Valencia Cultural Secretary, Rafael Miró and Director of the Valencia Institute of Modern Art (IVAM) Consuelo Císcar.

Concha Vázquez, director of Cultural Promotion in the Regional Government of Castilla la Mancha, and Luis Alegre Galilea, cultural councillor in the La Rioja Regional Government, visited Art Madrid as well. The fair was also attended by senior representatives from the city councils of Córdoba, Elche, Ciudad Real, Murcia and Gijón, among others.

Visitors from cultural organisations included César Gaviria, president of the O.E.A. (Organisation of American States), representatives from the Hispanic Society Board in New York and the Board of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Once again, the fair included the collaboration of the Alfa Romeo car brand, which participated in this addition as an Official Sponsor. This year Alfa Romeo continued its initiative to offer a tour of the most important works from each gallery, creating a special stand that displayed the work of three young artists.