Fundacón Arco Premia Las Galerías Juan Antonio Pérez Simón, Laurent Dumas, Gabriel Cassoro y Macba Studio

The ARCO Foundation has awarded the ‘A’ Awards for Collecting that this year have recognized the collections of Juan Antonio Pérez Simón – Helga de Alvear ‘A’ Award -; Laurent Dumas –Prize ‘A’ International Collection–; Gabriel Calparsoro –Prize ‘A’ National Private Collection- and MACBA Studio –Prize ‘A’ Young Collection–.

In this 30th edition, the ARCO Foundation has awarded these awards that recognize the artistic value of the collections of collectors and institutions, as well as their work in supporting the dissemination of contemporary art.

The awards ceremony will take place on March 3 at the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid, where the traditional dinner of the ARCO Foundation will then be held, with the collaboration of Cartier, aimed at raising funds for the acquisition of works at ARCOmadrid 2026 for its collection, currently housed in the CA2M Museo Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo in the Community of Madrid.

The Pérez Simón Collection includes more than 4,000 works of painting, sculpture and drawing as well as numerous pieces of decorative arts. Today, it is one of the most relevant private collections in the world. It also houses a library that brings together more than 50,000 volumes, with a documentary fund that supports the Collection itself.

The collection is based on old masters, with works dating from the late Middle Ages and the beginning of the European Renaissance and until the end of the 18th century. Italian painting stands out with authors such as Spinello Aretino, Benvenuto di Giovanni, Canaletto, Tiepolo, Bronzino and Veronese, along with an important Flemish and Dutch group from the 17th century. It also brings together the great masters of New Spain painting such as Rodríguez Juárez, Miguel Cabrera, José de Páez, José de Alcíbar and Manuel de Arellano.

It is also notable for its collection of 19th century British art, considered the most relevant outside the United Kingdom, with works by Alma-Tadema, Leighton, Poynter, Long and key figures of Pre-Raphaeliteism such as Waterhouse, Millais, Rossetti and Burne-Jones.

In French painting, the academic tradition -Bouguereau, Gérôme, Cabanel- and impressionist modernity coexist with pieces by Pissarro, Monet, Renoir, Degas and Sisley. In the Spanish art section, it brings together works from the 16th to the 20th centuries, with essential names such as El Greco, Murillo, Ribera, Goya, Sorolla, Picasso, Dalí, Miró, Saura, Tàpies, Barceló or Genovés.

The historical avant-garde and contemporary art also occupy a central place, from Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Chagall, Munch, Man Ray and Kandinsky to Rothko, Pollock, de Kooning, to which are added Warhol, Lichtenstein, Calder, Kapoor and Gormley. The collection pays special attention to Latin American art – with Frida Kahlo, Izquierdo, Carrington, Varo, Lam, Matta, Botero and Soto – and has been recently enriched with the addition of Chinese creators such as Zeng Fanzhi, Zhang Xiaogang, and Japanese such as Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara.

LAURENT DUMAS

The Laurent Dumas collection, formed over more than two decades, has established itself as an essential reference for understanding the evolution of art in France from the sixties to today. Among the most notable artists are works by Jean-Michel Alberola, Erik Dietman, Fabrice Hyber, Annette Messager and Jean-Pierre Pincemin, as well as fundamental artists who have marked the first decades of the new century in France such as Adel Abdessemed, Dove Allouche, Nina Childress, Hélène Delprat, Damien Deroubaix, Bruno Perramant, Georges Tony Stoll and Claire Tabouret. The collection also includes international creators established in France, such as Barthélémy Toguo, Ulla von Brandenburg and Thomas Hirschhorn.

Dumas has maintained a commitment to supporting young artists, acquiring significant works and reinforcing this work since 2014 through the Bourse Révélations Emerige scholarship. Its involvement is now expanding with the upcoming opening, in autumn 2026, of the contemporary art center Pointe des Arts, on Île Seguin, a project aimed at enhancing the projection and dissemination of this French scene in dialogue with international artists.

As for the Calparsoro Collection, it is made up of around 170 works and brings together photography, sculpture, painting and video creation that reflect an international approach marked by interest in social and political discourses, as well as by the collector’s life experience outside of Spain.

Photography occupies a prominent place with pieces by Nan Goldin, Zoe Leonard, Wolfgang Tillmans, Peter Hujar, Ana Mendieta, Carrie Mae Weems and Arthur Jafa. The sculpture incorporates works by Isa Genzken, Kara Walker, Cameron Rowland, Huma Bhabha, Mónica Mays, Lucía Bayón, Andra Ursuta, Carol Bove and Rachel Whiteread. In the pictorial field, it includes works by Adam Pendleton, Ellen Gallagher, Theaster Gates, Lorna Simpson, Glenn Ligon, Louis Fratino, Manuela Solano, and Portia Zvavahera, while video creation is constantly growing with contributions from Isaac Julien, Barbara Hammer, Tourmaline and P. Staff.

The Calparsoro Foundation has recently been established in order to activate the collection through collaborations with public and private institutions and promote philanthropy projects. Next March, he will present, for the first time in Spain, Isaac Julien’s installation “Once Again (Statues Never Die)”, in the presence of the artist and with the collaboration of the Lázaro Galdiano Museum.

MACBA STUDIO, ‘A’ PRIZE FOR YOUNG COLLECTING

MACBA Studio has established itself as a pioneering platform for young patrons committed to contemporary art and its transformative role. Aimed at people up to 35 years old, the project encourages emerging collecting and builds an active community that understands art as a tool capable of generating critical thinking, inspiring new perspectives and opening other ways of understanding the present.

The group brings together young people who are beginning their journey in collecting and others with greater experience, all linked by their commitment to the museum and the local, national and international artistic ecosystem. Thanks to their contributions, the members of the group contribute directly to the growth of the museum’s Collection and reinforce the mission of the MACBA Foundation to enrich artistic heritage, support the creation of galleries and promote education in contemporary art.

MACBA Studio has contributed to recent acquisitions of works by artists such as Teresa Solar, Thomias Radin, María Teresa Hincapié, Esther Ferrer, or Iñaki Bonillas. The works not only enrich the museum’s artistic collection, but also represent a model of young and involved patronage, which is linked to the city of Barcelona and the challenges of current art. Added to these are purchases made individually by some members during fairs such as ARCO, reinforcing the personal commitment to responsible collecting.