BLOGG

The ARTIST MADRID Art Fair 2020 that was held at Calle Cid 8 in Madrid has already held from February 26 to March 1, 2020.

The fair was a success especially thanks to the fact that it was held during the international art week in Madrid together with Arco Madrid, Art Madrid, Justmad, Hybrid and Flecha. The location of the fair was great, next to the Recoletos station and very easy to get to. It is also noticeable how the organization did its best in Marketing since more than 7000 people came to visit the fair.

We believe that although so many people attended the fair, they were not looking for art. It was clearly noticeable that most of the people just came for a walk, to hang out and to photograph. Although several works were sold, it did not meet the expectations of an international art fair. We believe that it should have been an admission fee in order to slightly restrict entry to those who came for a "stroll".

An important detail of the fair's marketing, which it considers unethical, is that in all the articles and interviews the organizers themselves are promoted with their own art and stands. We feel that the organizers have used this fair to promote themselves more than other exhibitors.

The selection of artists was also uncontrolled. Many high-end artists could be seen, other artists with very good potentials… but many other who should not have participated because of their very poor and very unprofessional art. The organization accepted practically all those who applied until the quota was filled, resulting in a very varied concept and qualities.

The prices of the stands were too high compared to other art fairs. The Stands were too small and the corridors extremely narrow giving a claustrophobic feeling, and visitors had a difficult time detecting the works with ease. They thought more about bringing the most possible exhibitors into the premises than creating a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere for both exhibitors and visitors. 1.5-meter walkways between the Stands is totally unacceptable. The hallways were so narrow that visitors collided with the artwork and even caused damage to some artwork.

The cleanliness of the space was also not up to par for what is expected for an art fair. The floors indicated highly feasible glue stains that were never cleaned even though management was notified. In addition, the first two days of the fair they were closing the fair 20 minutes before the agreed time by means of turning the lights on and off in a disorderly way.

Regarding security, it left a lot to envy. We tested security by selling 6 works of art without giving the buyers the "proof of purchase" that they had to show up to leave the premises, and the 6 works went smoothly out. There are no surveillance cameras and no mobile security guards.

The warehouse to store the works of art and other materials was open and without security. Anyone could go in and out without problems. Although the organization promised the first day to closed the place, they didn’t keep their promise.

We also missed a catering service inside the fair to be able to have a coffee or eat something to survive the day.

In short, it is noticeable that the organization of the fair lacks a lot to raise the level of this fair. Many mistakes have been made, probably due to lack of experience. We encourage all those who will participate in future events to research the venue, location, price and size of the stands compared to other more recognized art fairs and that, mainly, there is much more space in the corridors.

The fair level we rated with a 5 out of 10, and we hope that for the next year it will not use this small space and that the negative things will improve and become positive.