“The art market is patriarchal. There is much for equality”

Women criticize that starting prices are lower than those of men and claim equality: “We have been relegated”

The 44th edition of Arcomadrid is formed by 40 percent of women, an “improvable” figure as its director Maribel López said, in statements to Europa Press, and that is also insufficient for some of the artists who exhibit their works, as is the case of Marina Vargas, creator of the work ‘Break the canon’ in which the picture ‘La Libertad guide the people’ of Eugène.

“The field of visibility that women have is smaller and in the market we have a value many times more precarious in an unfair way,” he says in statements to Europa Press, in which he regrets that the art market is “patriarchal.”

The artist regrets that women go “far behind” men in the sector, although he considers that the situation is changing and works on that line. “You have to continue working and awareness of the entire cultural panorama gradually,” he says.

Vargas makes visible in ‘break the canon’ his own sick body “with the left arm raised, after losing his left chest because of breast cancer. “Normally your arm cannot be lifted because they take away the ganglia, but I had to do it because it was a gesture of resistance and feminism,” explains the artist, who describes her piece as a “deconstructive, ironic and essentially feminist work.”

One of the works that has generated the most expectation in the first two days of arch is ‘Dat-Astral Chart’, of Noemí Iglesias, exhibited in the Moises Pérez de Albéniz Gallery, and where the kings stopped this Wednesday. “They seemed very interesting, although the queen was a little scared,” jokes the artist in statements to Europa Press.

Noemí Iglesias emphasizes that “there are only 5.8 percent of women artists in Spanish galleries”, a figure that as she herself indicates “is much lower than other editions.” “There is still a lot of work to do so that there is an equality in terms of the representation of women,” he warns.

“There are some institutions that help women artists and thus advocate equality with men. But there are other entities that when offering scholarships gives them more the same,” he says.

On the other hand, Inma Herrero, creator of ‘Glacier I’, the cheapest work of Arco, exalts the importance of the fair betting on the female presence, although she adds that “never” has been discriminated against by its gender. “We have very important things to say and have to leave us the space to do so. It is important that there is a male look, but also the female look,” he said.

Lower departure prices

Another of the artists present in Arcomadrid 2025 is Concha Jerez who, with his work ‘necrological censored of forgotten women’ exhibited in Freijo Gallery, claims those women who are only known for their necrological. “Many great women, with a full life, I have met them for the newspaper. I have been interesting to bring this work here and claim them,” he said.

In addition, he points out that the role of women in this type of event must be continued because “there are many who have opened roads.” “I think my Arch recognition is changing because they accept younger women, something that was more complicated before,” he admitted.

However, he regretted that starting prices remain lower for women than for men. “Not only happens in Spain but internationally. It is something flagrant and does not have to happen,” he stressed.

A criticism that has also been shared by Tania Blanco, author of ‘Self -portrait of Palestine journalist working in Gaza and Hallalaar’, two pieces exposed jointly in the formatocomodo gallery.

“I think the companions who say it are right. Once a collector came to my studio and had me teaching him all morning. A few days later, a person who knew told me that he would never buy a work from a woman because he said that there were barely women in the history of art,” he recalled.

Blanco, which in his work shows the differences of life in Palestine at the beginning of the century and currently, recognizes that in the art world there are “retrograde” people who make such “completely obsolete” assessments. “Of course there are fewer women in the history of art and books, but because they have been relegating to the background,” he criticized.

“The relations of force have to be balanced and there must be greater equality,” he says.

“The difficult thing now is to do something without having women”

Finally, the president of the Consortium of Contemporary Art Galleries, Idoia Fernández, believes that the percentages should not be only between men and women and asks that it is considered what galleries are working at historical moments or in geographical fields in which there was not so much presence of women.

“Perhaps there are many who are dedicated to historical avant -garde, that is, to artists already disappeared or the early twentieth century or mid -twentieth century, because perhaps obviously there were fewer women who dedicated themselves professionally or almost professionally,” he explained.

On the absence of women in art history, remember that many artists of the past were dedicated to creations but “they were not paying attention to them and many turned to their homes.” “It was a very difficult world for a woman to do almost anything,” he emphasizes.

In spite of everything, he insists that things are changing and has extolled that today “there are young very good artists” who deserve spaces where they can show their work. “Now the difficult thing is to do anything in contemporary art without having women because there are many and very good,” he concluded.