Arco 2008: Video-based work, at the forefront in every section of the art fair

Arco '08: In recent years, video art has broken the bonds of museums and experimental spaces, and can now be found in the homes of less conservative private investors. The video art market is on the upswing, and in the sights of collectors who are putting their money on pieces using this new form of expression. In the thick of the debate on curatorship, collecting, and conserving video works, and media art in general, there are many emerging and established artists who are emphasising video-art language, and many galleries that, as we are seeing at ARCO8, are committed to this form of art production.

Video art—which is becoming an increasingly important part of corporate collections as well as a favourite with private collectors—is one of the stars of ARCO8. With fresh concepts, video is coming on stronger than ever in the curated invitational devoted to new technologies in art, EXPANDED-BOX, where it will have a special exhibition area with three screens showing works in loop, as well as individual screens for the public. Besides, video artists from around the world are showing their latest creations in SOLO PROJECTS, BRAZIL AT ARCO and in the GENERAL PROGRAMME, plus the ARCO40 section.

On view at the fair are works by leading lights in this discipline, like the founding father of video art Nam June Paik, whose works are available at the HANS MEYER stand. The Catalan gallery ESTRANY-DE LA MOTA is showing recent work by the Scottish artist Douglas Gordon, whose videos were recently seen in a one-person exhibition at the MoMA in New York. On another note, JUANA DE AIZPURU has brought a 3D animation piece by the young artist Cristina Lucas titled Pantone, 2007, 39’26’’ which was last seen at the Istanbul Biennial.

The public can also see works by new names in video like the Brazilian artist Marcellvs L. at the CARLIER GEBAUER stand or the Dutch artist Arthur Kleinjan at the RONMANDOS gallery, with his latest creation titled Atocha, 2007 5’ 38’’. These are just a few examples of the rise of video, a phenomenon filling ARCO8 with screens and spaces for the projection of the moving image.