- BilbaoArte, Bilbao City Council’s artistic production centre, has been supporting local and international artists since its foundation in 1998.
- In its twenty-seven years of existence, 1,225 artists have benefited from studio grants or developed their projects at BilbaoArte.
- ARCOmadrid is the most important annual contemporary art event in Spain, and this year’s edition features works by a large number of artists who have passed through BilbaoArte.
(Bilbao, 5 March 2026) Thanks to the work and support of Bilbao City Council, since its inauguration in 1998, BilbaoArte has welcomed 1,225 artists who have received grants in the form of studio space and/or have carried out their projects at the Artistic Production Centre.
Long- and medium-term resident artists, as well as those involved in exchange programmes, have enjoyed the time, space and resources, both technical and financial, to advance their artistic and professional practice.
Over the years, the continuity of this initial work carried out at the BilbaoArte facilities, in the form of courses, technical and fiscal advice, exhibitions, publications, performances and actions, has given rise to a community of professional artists who are still active on the contemporary art scene today.
Over the years, the continuity of this initial work carried out at the BilbaoArte facilities, in the form of courses, technical and fiscal advice, exhibitions, publications, performances and actions, has given rise to a community of professional artists who are still active on the contemporary art scene today.
BilbaoArte at ARCOmadrid 2026
ARCOmadrid is undoubtedly the most prominent contemporary art event in Spain. A Contemporary Art Fair that brings together artists, galleries and cultural agents from both Spain and abroad.
BilbaoArte is proud to see that many of the artists who have been, and continue to be, part of this project are present at the current edition, which is being held from 4 to 8 March at Ifema Madrid.
Among others, it is worth highlighting the large presence of our artists at the stands of galleries at the ARCO 2026 Fair: Leo Burge, Josu Bilbao and Idoia Leache at Ethall (Barcelona); Miren Doiz at El Apartamento (Madrid); Gala Knorr at T20 (Murcia); Manu Blázquez and Antonio Menchen at Luis Adelantado (Valencia); Amaya Suberviola, Elvira Amor and Noemí Iglesias Barrios at Galería Moisés Pérez de Albéniz (Madrid); June Crespo, Mar de Dios, Susana Talayero, Oier Iruretagoiena and Ignacio Sáez at Carreras Múgica (Bilbao); Irene de Andrés and Carlos Irijalba at Juan Silió (Santander); Sahatsa Jauregi and David Martínez Suarez at ATM (Gijón); Miguel Ángel Gaüeca and Bene Bergado at Galería Espacio Mínimo (Valencia); Greta Alfaro and Mar Reykjavik at Galería Rosa Santos (Valencia); Alain Urrutia at Pelaires Gallery (Palma de Mallorca); Damaris Pan at Galería Fermay (Palma de Mallorca).
Also present are Hodei Herreros, Pablo Capitán del Río, Álvaro Albaladejo and Christian Lagata at Artnueve (Murcia); Karlos Martinez Bordoy and Tania Blanco at Formatocomodo (Madrid); Javier Bravo de Rueda at Livia Benavides (Barranco, Peru); Mónica Mays at Blue Velvet (Zurich, Switzerland); Abel Jaramillo at Ángeles Baños (Badajoz); Avelino Sala at ADN (Barcelona); María Alcaide and Itziar Barrio at Ángels Barcelona; Nora Aurrekoetxea at Bombón Projects (Barcelona); Blanca Muñoz at Cayón (Madrid); Kiko Pérez at Ehrhardt Flórez (Madrid); Tamara Arroyo at NF / Nieves Fernández (Madrid); Miguel Marina at Galería Nordés (A Coruña), Maisterra (Madrid) and The Goma (Madrid).
Among the artist projects, we find June Crespo with Ehrhardt Flórez and Idoia Leache with Ethall.
As part of the fair, Amaia Molinet, María Alcaide, Abel Jaramillo and Sahatsa Jauregi, artists in residence at BilbaoArte in 2015, 2018, 2016 and 2022 respectively, are nominated for the Cervezas Alhambra Emerging Art Award, a sponsorship and award programme established as a benchmark in the Spanish cultural sphere, which rewards and recognises the talent of emerging artists and highlights the connection between craftsmanship and contemporary art.
Around ARCOmadrid
Linked to the prestigious Contemporary Art Fair, Madrid offers a varied programme each year that includes parallel art fairs, as well as an extensive and abundant exhibition programme in the city’s museums, galleries and cultural centres.
Among the parallel fairs on offer, after 10 years in Madrid and coinciding with the closing of the 4th edition of CAN Art Fair Ibiza on the island, UVNT Art Fair (Urvanity Art) is transforming into CAN Art Fair Madrid, with both fairs coming together under the same brand: Contemporary Art Now. CAN Art Fair Madrid is a fair that grows and evolves every year, exploring the freshest languages, updating aesthetic codes and establishing new trends in the art world. New talents and emerging artists from the contemporary scene, both national and international, gather in Madrid to reimagine the cultural landscape in what is one of the key events of the city’s Art Week. At this fair, we can find Adrián Castañeda at Shankay (Dubai) and Kiko Miyares, Fermín Moreno and Javier R. Pérez Curiel at SC Gallery (Bilbao).
At the Álvaro Alcázar Gallery, we can see Kepa Garraza’s exhibition War, and at the Juan Silió Gallery, Carlos Irijalba’s Love that bird.
La Casa Encendida is showing the work of Hodei Herreros and Élan d’Orphium as part of the Generation 2026 exhibition, which has been offering a selection of artistic projects by young people living in the country every year since 2000.
In addition, at Matadero – Centro de Acción Contemporánea, we can see the work of Mónica Mays in the exhibition Pulgar (Thumb) as part of Abierto x Obras (Open for Works), curated by Cristina Anglada.
This is a great opportunity to enjoy some of the works that we like to think began or contributed to their evolution thanks to the experience gained at BilbaoArte.
IMÁGENES (obras de artistas en galerías), en este enlace
https://nextcloud.coonic.com/index.php/s/tim9q9zcQ5sdFxC