King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain officially opened the 45th edition of ARCOmadrid, the international contemporary art fair, on Thursday, March 6, 2026. The royal couple were greeted by José Vicente de los Mozos, president of the IFEMA Executive Committee, and proceeded to tour pavilions 7 and 9, observing artwork from various exhibitors. However, their visit was met with protests from gallery owners who booed Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun over the government’s lack of response to calls for a reduction in VAT on art sales.
“The galleries want to emphasize that this action is not directed against the Royal House or His Majesty the King, whose institutional presence they fully respect. The protest is limited exclusively to the inaction and lack of dialogue between the Ministries of Culture and Finance to reach a real solution for an entire sector, and to the lack of understanding and adaptation of cultural policies consistent with the visual arts,” a statement from the gallery owners read.
During their visit, the King and Queen paused at the ABC Cultural stand, where commissioner Javier Día-Guardiola explained the exhibit’s focus on celebrating the centenary of artist Aurèlia Muñoz and connecting her work with that of contemporary artist Sonia Navarro, whom he described as one of Muñoz’s “heirs,” representing 35 years of the magazine’s commitment to Spanish art. “We always bet on Spanish art and we wanted to highlight a Spanish artist,” Díaz-Guardiola commented, also showing Minister Urtasun a sticker in support of the gallery owners’ protests.
The stand, titled ‘Hilando tramas’ (Weaving Threads), presents a feminist and intergenerational tribute to the two artists. Aurèlia Muñoz (Barcelona, 1926-2011) was a pioneer of Spanish textile art and internationally recognized in her time, with accolades from major events in Lausanne and São Paulo. Alongside her is Sonia Navarro (Puerto Lumbreras, 1975), who carries on this tradition, giving voice to other women and knowledge systems through her craft.
“Sonia puts value on traditions that are being lost and Spanish craftsmanship”
‘Algas’ (Algae), a large-scale, previously unseen textile piece by Muñoz, is a focal point of the exhibit. It was originally sold to a collector at ARCO in 2020 but was never displayed publicly. Navarro draws inspiration from this work to create her own installation featuring four ‘jarapas’ (rag rugs) constructed from scraps and two ‘espartos’ (esparto grass creations) that complement Muñoz’s piece and showcase “the folds” of a shared passion for the discipline.
“Sonia puts value on traditions that are being lost and Spanish craftsmanship,” Queen Letizia noted, demonstrating her familiarity with Navarro’s work and inquiring about the artist’s use of wool.
Díaz-Guardiola also recalled that Navarro previously collaborated with ABC Cultural at ARCO in 2018 as part of a duo with FOD, and presented a piece at the magazine’s stand during her first participation in the fair. That work, acquired by the Community of Murcia, was created with the help of her mother, whom the King and Queen invited to join them at the stand during their visit.
“We chose her again now to also analyze her evolution as a creator,” explained the commissioner of the ABC Cultural stand.
