El Chico: The future of art galleries?

Since their rise in the 16th century, art galleries have served as a place to showcase, discuss and sell artwork. The question poses, to whom are the artworks sold to?

Elitism has been a fundamental aspect of the art world for centuries. Art has been used to demonstrate social status, with prices that are far from accessible to the common person. With a market value of 67.8 billion in 2022, a significant amount of that money was spent by the ultra wealthy. Art collecting is a world that is out of reach to the majority, but does it have to be? We know how older societies operated, but what is this new society calling for?

These are questions that Javier Aparicio, founder and director of El Chico, has posed to himself. Originally starting as a podcast about the Madrid and international art scene, now El Chico “is an art gallery that explores alternative pathways, unifying local and international experiences.” However, since its conception three years ago, Javier tried to stray away from the “art gallery” label, saying “we are not a gallery” and “we are just the physical extension of a podcast”.  

Why the hesitation to call this space a gallery?

Javier is against the exclusivity of the world of art galleries, and believes the new generation is calling for a major change in the landscape. 

El Chico “wants to debate already existing models through expositions and activities”. They focus on representing and collaborating with emerging and mid-career artists, a lot of them in their 20s. Bridging the gap between the exclusivity of traditional galleries and the up and coming artists. Javier believes constant improval and changes are necessary to be a good platform for artists in order to fit their ever-changing needs.

Additionally, Javier believes that traditional galleries are stagnant and too niche, and in order to transition to this new generation, it is necessary to be flexible and adapt to current needs. This generation is more open and is looking for spaces to celebrate and discuss art with anyone, not just a select group. 

Will the traditional gallery hold the test of time? Will they be replaced with spaces where the only goal isn’t to sell the artwork, but to do so by building an inclusive community? Only time will tell, but for now, supporting spaces like El Chico is incredibly important to uplift the emerging Madrid art scene.

Sources:

https://www.elchico.gallery/

https://www.artbasel.com/stories/key-findings-art-market-report-2023?lang=en

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Dqh5EFlYzATthMe8ay2xh?si=e673fb505b594526