The MIA Art Collection, whose founder and director is the civil engineer, philanthropist and patron Alejandra Castro Rioseco has organized a series of activities that can be enjoyed in the week ARCO in Madrid, complementing it with participation in the contemporary art fair JUSTMAD and in Matadero Madrid Centro de Creación Contemporánea.
The main objective of Alejandra Castro Rioseco, in conjunction with her expert team is to achieve gender equality in the world of art, which is clearly reflected in the works belonging to the collection. More than 900 pieces are currently hosted by MIA Art Collection and all are created by women artists, as achieving equality begins with properly valuing women’s art and, in this case, focusing on its acquisition, interpretation and visibility.
In the context of the international contemporary art fair ARCO, MIA Art Collection has focused on enhancing a selection of artists whose studios can be visited in Madrid. The protagonists are Paloma Navares, Barbara Long and Marina Vargas, also represented in the collection. The location of the studios outside the IFEMA exhibition grounds, which is also evident, makes it possible to decentralise the art of the traditional pavilions holding the event. In addition, thanks to this action, the ARCO week is enjoyed in the workplaces of the artists, who are the authentic spaces for the emergence and consolidation of creativity.
In this way, the public understands the artistic processes first hand, thanks to the direct testimonies of the creators and also originates a type of visit more private and close to the experience of art, which greatly enriches each encounter. The tours of the workshops took place on 7 and 8 July.
MIA Art Collection premieres other activities besides artist visits. In the context of JUSTMAD, in the Palace of Neptune, the institution presents the conference MIA Art Collection, a proposal for creators on July 9 at 12:00 h. A debate will be established between Alejandra Castro Rioseco as a patron, one of the curators of MIA Art Collection Alejandra Rodríguez Cunchillos and the cultural manager Carmen Tato.
To conclude, the latest proposal of MIA Art Collection is the conference entitled Women artists in art collections, which again features the participation of Alejandra Castro Rioseco, now accompanied by the plastic arts and architecture technique of the Instituto Cervantes of Madrid María José Magaña Clemente and the artistic director of Matadero Madrid Rosa Ferré Vázquez. It shall be delivered on 10 July at 12 noon in Matadero Madrid.
Without a doubt, MIA Art Collection not only promotes gender equality in the contemporary art scene, but also promotes female creation and the configuration of the art market from feminism. In fact, in one of the interviews with Alejandra Castro Rioseco, she comments the following: ‘The art world needs to reclaim the role of women for years of invisibilization towards them, for years of ignoring that they exist and treating them as muses rather than teachers. Helping to make visible, support and give strength to women in art is what I like to do’