MADRID.- After the resounding success of the opening edition of MADRIDFOTO last May, Art Fairs is now pleased to announce the second edition of this international contemporary photography fair. The latest event is moving to Palacio de Deportes, a new location in the city centre of Madrid. From May 12th through 16th fifty eight galleries will be exhibiting works selected for the fair. At the same time, photography magazines and publishers will round off a show featuring almost three hundred and fifty artists targeting the many Spanish and international, corporate and institutional collectors who are expected to turn up to see the latest in contemporary photography and video. In response to the wishes of the majority of exhibitors, the fair has been extended an extra day in order to better attend both an expert audience and the general public alike. The opening day, Wednesday 12th, and the morning of Thursday 13th are invitation-only previews.

MADRIDFOTO has twenty two foreign exhibitors, with a special mention for four major New York galleries (Kris Graves Projects, Alan Klotz Gallery, Aperture Gallery and Laurence Miller Gallery) who are travelling to Madrid with an excellent offer of both modern and contemporary photography from their rosters of international artists. Taking a look at Spain itself, besides nineteen galleries from Madrid, MADRIDFOTO is hosting a further twenty galleries from the rest of Spain, thus ensuring a proper cross-section of photographic art. The high percentage of non-Spanish galleries will ensure a good representation of well-known international artists, added of course to the foreign artists represented by Spanish galleries.

Rounding off MADRIDFOTO, the fair also has room set aside for contemporary photography magazines and publishers. These include Photograph Magazine from New York (USA), Hotshoe from London (United Kingdom) or the Eyemazing magazine from Amsterdam (Holland) which will be bringing their latest numbers to the fair. They are joined by Spanish magazines like EXIT, Artecontexto and Grabado y Edición who are preparing special projects for the fair. Finally, La Central, the art book store, will guarantee a wide selection of photography books for all pockets.

Among the new introductions this year is the format of the catalogue, now ordered by artists instead of by galleries. This makes it more of an annual of photographers which will be expanded with successive editions of MADRIDFOTO.

The opening preview day Wednesday 12th is set aside for contacts between players in the art market, giving collectors and other agents a chance to meet with galleries. Furthermore, in its mission to popularise contemporary art and foster photography collections, MADRIDFOTO opens its doors to the general public on the afternoon of Thursday 13th, from 3 pm to 9 pm; all day Friday and Saturday from 12 noon to 9 pm; and finally, on Sunday from 11 am to 8 pm. Tickets can be bought at the entrance to Palacio de Deportes (€15) or in advance from www.entradas.com (€13). Reduced admission at €11 is available for students and +65s.

MADRIDFOTO’s core mandate is to act as a driving engine for the photography market and to this end it is preparing a programme aimed at private, institutional and corporate collecting. For private collectors the fair has organised an interesting schedule of activities designed to attract major art buyers to Madrid. Among the many institutions and companies who have chosen MADRIDFOTO as a platform is the government of the Madrid Region, sponsoring the Comunidad de Madrid-MADRIDFOTO Prize to the best young artist, Acciona is sponsoring the Acciona-MADRIDFOTO Photography Award for Sustainability and the City Council of Alcobendas will be showcasing its collection at the fair. Likewise, Bodegas Chivite, Esfera del Arte and other private companies have expressed an interest in works to go on display at the fair. A selection of the Fundación Coca-Cola collection will be on exhibit in the VIP Lounge at MADRIDFOTO 2010.

To further strengthen the sense of dialogue between the public and artists, MADRIDFOTO has invited a number of photographers to present their most recent books and exhibition catalogues. Throughout the five days of the event, the following artists will be signing copies of their books: Javier Arcenillas, Manel Armengol, José Ramón Bas, Luis Baylon, Antoine D‘Agata, Andreas Lang, Mary Ellen Mark, José Antonio Martínez, Ramón Masats, Rebeca Menéndez, Cristina de Middel, Rafael Navarro, Esteban Pastorino, Robert Richfield and Jordi Socias, among others.

Sponsored by Gin Mare and conceived to throw a spotlight on new talent, MADRIDFOTO has created OFF GALLERY, a space set aside to introduce new up-and-coming photographers not represented by galleries. With the overarching theme of the Mediterranean, Gin Mare is making a selection of artists who will be awarded and exhibited at the fair.

MADRIDFOTO 2010 is also in contact with influential international cultural agents. With the cooperation of SEACEX (State Corporation for Spanish Cultural Action Abroad), meetings are being organised between directors of art centres, curators and academics specialised in contemporary photography. A series of major international names will be invited to speak about their experiences and future projects with exhibiting galleries and the attending public.

This year the layout of MADRIDFOTO has been designed again by Jaque Arquitectos. Their brief was to enhance the sightlines and bolster communication between visitors to the fair and the exhibitors. Following last year’s successful design Jaque is repeating the idea of a series of plazas that give a perspective of the works on display. Furthermore, all the booths are exactly the same size, thus shifting the attention to the works of the artists on view, independently of the gallery’s status or clout. In short, the visiting public will be able to catch the best of new photography in an inviting welcoming surrounding designed especially for Palacio de Deportes.