Founded and directed by Sergio Sancho, the UVNT Art Fair is at its seven edition, inviting mid-career and emerging artists to the Contemporary Art Scene in Madrid, Spain
Creating a space for New Contemporary artists in the Spanish circuit
Sergio Sancho didn’t start in the art world but has been curating his own personal collection for many years. However, when he couldn’t find local and national artists that he wanted for his collection, he realized that the Spanish Art Circuit did not have a space for the kind of artwork he was seeking. He saw the opportunity to create the UVNT Art Fair – an art fair designed to explore the latest new contemporary proposals at a national and international level. The fair attracts visitors not just from Spain, but around the world.
The annual Art Fair takes place in the center of Madrid, Spain, in the Chueca neighborhood. As a resident of Madrid, it made sense for Sergio Sancho to run the UVNT Art Fair in his hometown. Madrid as a city is also known for its collection of fine arts and young talent, making it a breeding ground for the Spanish art scene to thrive.
From Street Art to the New Figurative: UVNT Madrid
When the first edition made its debut, the focus was street art. This served as a direct response to the lack of it in Spain and lack of its recognition. Sancho explains that he wanted to lend a hand to young people to start collecting art that they could connect with. This connection has been nurtured and evolved into what the fair proudly has become today.
«We want to lend a hand to young people to start collecting. We were happy to create a space where young people can connect with Art and with the Artists so that they can start getting involved and start collecting», states Mr. Sancho.
Over the years, to keep up with the ever-changing contemporary art scene influenced by national and international trends, the direction of the exhibition shifted to accommodate the newest avant-garde proposals. A shift influenced by the growing number of international galleries and artists participating in the fair and the expanding popularity of digital art: «35% of international collaborations enriched the proposals of this year’s fair», adding an aspect of international variety mixed with Spanish contemporary artists that can be only found at the UVNT fair.
As such, the fair now exposes Contemporary and New Figurative art movements that are heavily influenced by the digital world. «There are two to three Street Art Proposals but the rest are Contemporary or Figurative».
What to expect from The 2023 UVNT Art Fair: mixing mid-career and emerging young artists
With thirty-four galleries being exhibited, mixing mid-career and emerging young artists, the UVNT Art Fair is set up to display the most recent innovative proposals in the Contemporary Art Scene. Sancho creates this as an opportunity and platform for these specific artists to get exposure they may not get elsewhere.
Sancho clearly states that there is no theme to this year’s fair. However, the curation of galleries and artists make sense as a whole with the majority focusing on Figurative art. «We try to differentiate our curation of artists and galleries in comparison to some of the bigger Art Fairs that take place in Madrid. As those fairs are more conceptual, we try to offer a breath of fresh air with the Figurative. As the artists are influenced by the same trends, each stand feels similar in its essence». In the end, often times curators and gallerists are searching at more individualized fairs like UVNT Art Fair, making Sancho’s event interesting for international and national art collectors. In turn, smaller or lesser-known artists get the chance to interact with art figures and make meaningful connections.
UVNT Art Fair: Moving toward Digital Art
Digital art has been an upcoming topic for the past few years, UVNT hasn’t ignored it, but instead welcomes it. The increasing role of the digital world and social media is reflected in the increase of the digital art that is being created and curated. Younger Artists are especially influenced by the Digital world, but mid-career artists are also taking inspiration from it resulting in a similar blend of creations.
Growth of the fair: Seven years in the geographically strategic location
Over the last seven years, the collaboration of the UVNT Art Fair and other galleries has been exponential. With double the demand that they can accommodate, the UVNT Art Fair is striving to include as many local galleries as possible whilst striving to open the market up for international influences. With Madrid being a geographically strategic location, it welcomes international visitors and collectors to get a glimpse of the booming local art scene. International galleries were incorporated to please the Spanish crowds that may desire to see something different, to add variety.
This, however, was not the case during the event’s first edition. Back in the beginning, they struggled to find galleries and artists to collaborate with.
The Covid Pandemic also played a role in the collaboration of local and international galleries. In 2021, the UVNT Art Fair was strictly local because of the worldwide restrictions of the pandemic but has since then bounced back.
«We started giving opportunities to a lot of galleries and a lot of artists to show their art in, in a nice fair, different from the big mainstream ones».
Staying local: UVNT Art Fair
The growing rate of local galleries is further explained by the involvement of the fair in local communities. During the year, UVNT Art Fair aims to collaborate with the public. Public art programs and summer school tours aim to get the public to engage with up and coming artists and contemporary art trends.
«This is one of the things we want to continue doing for the city because we think that we need more art in our lives». With the growth of the UVNT Art Fair, the hope is that more artists will feel liberated to express themselves, discover new talents, to create an ever-growing scent of contemporary artists not just in Madrid, but anywhere in Spain. The aim is to nurture and shine a spotlight on talent.
Curating for the UVNT Art Fair
During the year, the team at UVNT Art Fair visits many galleries that are in line with their own vision of the fair and invites the artists and galleries to participate in the event. The search for emerging artists and ground-breaking contemporary art that can connect with the youth and with those seeking to expand their collections of New Contemporary art are key contributing factors in the curation of the event.
The founder stresses: «From the beginning, our focus was to extend the art to everyone, to democratize it and to be close to young people». For Sancho, art is for everyone, it excludes nobody.
Partnering with responsible brands: Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos
Creating partnerships with local and international brands is key in encouraging the development of the fair and creating long lasting relationships with the public. Sustainability is a main pillar of the organization of the event and wasn’t left behind.
With about 300 square meters in use at Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos, the main talk areas are set up with recycled materials and reused furniture. Partnerships with eco-conscious brands such as Frisco, a German soda company or Mahou, a local Spanish Brewery that will offer local brews, the UVNT Art Fair seeks out initiatives to be more environmentally conscious.
A vision for future: Sergio Sancho’s expansion
A contemporary art fair at its concept, the UVNT Art Fair has evolved over the years to keep up with the Art Market and will continue to do so. The founder expressed, «If we want to be contemporary, we have to change. We don’t have any fear of change».
UVNT isn’t stopping at Contemporary Art. Sergio Sancho expects to see a further focus on the New Figurative Art Movement in the coming years with a growing space for digital art and a comeback for the Abstract movement. This expansion allows for other artists to be given a new spotlight and put Madrid even more so on the map as a capital for Contemporary Art.
The UVNT Art Fair
The UVNT Art Fair will run its 7th edition in Madrid, Spain in February 2023. It will consist of installations and proposals from 34 different galleries, all exhibiting mid-career to emerging contemporary artists. The art fair is under the direction of founder Sergio Sancho.
