ARCO, Spain’s annual art extravaganza in Madrid ended last weekend. Next year is the 40th edition, so watch this space. The organizers have said that´it has been a wild success. They would, of course. As with other such shows, the PR people do their best to fins at least one item that stands out among the rest, on which the media can concentrate, hoping as they do that the rest of the show will also find its way onto the circuit. Dead sheep and fish in formaldehyde, unmade beds and urinals come to mind. Arguments always arise: “Is this Art?” is the usual debate, into which I decline to delve. However, in an interview with ABC Cuban artist Wilfredo Prieto, author of the piece, said that if anyone steals it, or has a drink, he can always replace it. At the same price, naturally. Whatever the case, the piece did go viral and there was ado on the social media — no doubt the PR people at ARCO were peeing themselves with delight. The question is whether they would have had the same reaction had they chosen some other artistic idiocy from the show, such as a mandala made from red female underwear,
It being the Monday following yesterday’s closure of the art fair, to which the invited country this year was Colombia, there is no news as to whether the Vaso medio lleno de agua was sold. As far as can be ascertained there was no-one around with the name of Saatchi.
Here are some of the other exhibits:
Grand Old Farts 