The ENAIRE Foundation will be at ARCO 2026 in pavilion 9, stand 9D35, with an exhibition proposal focused on photography and on its commitment to digital resources as tools serving to democratise art and culture.
The ENAIRE Foundation marks 30 years of participation in the International ARCO Fair, presenting works from the ENAIRE Collection and reaffirming its commitment to contemporary art and to promoting artistic talent in Spain.
The managing director of the ENAIRE Foundation, Margarita Asuar, stated: “Being at ARCO every year is both an honour and a challenge that helps position the ENAIRE Foundation as a cultural asset of the Spain brand at one of the most important contemporary art fairs in the world. Here we not only present our 2025 Photography Prize and Lifetime Achievement Award, but also show how we have modernised our cultural work through the digital resources we have implemented in recent years. We come to ARCO 2026 with a comprehensive cultural digital ecosystem dedicated to contemporary art and exhibiting work in one of the formats of the future, produced using AI by the master Fontcuberta. Our institutional stand connects perfectly with the theme of this year’s ARCO fair: the future is now”.
Image of the ENAIRE Foundation stand at ARCO 2026.
Public cultural service
The ENAIRE Foundation carries out its activity as a public cultural service, displaying works from the ENAIRE Collection at airports of the Aena network, through which more than 300 million people pass each year.
In addition, the ENAIRE Foundation promotes artistic careers in contemporary photography through its Photography Prize, and recognises the work of established artists by awarding them the Lifetime Achievement Award.
At ARCO 2026, the Foundation is presenting the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award, the three photographs awarded in the 18th edition of the ENAIRE Foundation Photography Prizes in 2025, as well as the photograph that received the PhotoEspaña Special Mention and the one that won the Audience Award.
Visitors to ARCO will therefore be able to see the work that won first prize, Stress position by Tanit Plana, La Frontera by Daniel Ochoa de Olza, El eco de las cumbres by Françoise Vanneraud, Et in Arcadia Ego by José Quintanilla, which received the PhotoEspaña Special Mention, and the work “Las piedras de Castilla” by Juliana González, which won the Audience Award.
At ARCO 2026, the ENAIRE Foundation will present the video art piece Dinosaurios en palacio, the central work of the exhibition Mirabilia, which the Foundation organised in 2025 as an anthology to present the work of the recipient of the ENAIRE Foundation’s 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising the career of Joan Fontcuberta, a Spanish artist and photographer born in 1955 and known for his conceptual approach to photography.
Fontcuberta is a prominent representative of post-photography whose work explores the relationship between image and fiction, questioning the truthfulness and authenticity of photographs. He often creates invented narratives through manipulated images, challenging the viewer’s perception of reality and encouraging a critical perspective among the public. In addition to his work as a photographer, Fontcuberta is a writer and has taught at various institutions. His work has been exhibited in major museums and galleries around the world. He was awarded the National Photography Prize in 1998 and the National Essay Prize in 2011.
The ENAIRE Foundation has modernised its cultural work by incorporating the latest digital resources to promote the democratisation of art, creating its own digital ecosystem, which includes virtual and augmented reality experiences that can be accessed at the Foundation’s institutional stand at ARCO26, located in pavilion 9, stand 9D35.
“The ENAIRE Foundation has fully entered the twenty-first century, and our stand reflects this progress with Joan Fontcuberta’s video art, which is now part of the ENAIRE Collection. The award-winning artists whose works can be seen at ARCO26 are the Foundation’s best ambassadors, and their work represents us because they address issues of social interest, showing the impact and the full communicative power of contemporary art”, explains Asuar, the Foundation's managing director.
First prize ENAIRE Foundation Tanit Plana Stress position.
Second prize ENAIRE Foundation Daniel Ochoa de Olza La Frontera.
Third prize ENAIRE Foundation Françoise Vanneraud The echo of the summits.
About ENAIRE Foundation
Is a cultural institution of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility that, in addition to managing, preserving and exhibiting the ENAIRE Collection of Contemporary Art, engages in a comprehensive annual programme of activities that focus on aeronautical art and culture. Notably, it is one of the institutions that currently provides the most support to photography through its annual prizes - which have become a benchmark for professional photographers - and by hosting exhibits.
It is the only foundation in Spain that combines the two seemingly disparate themes of art and aeronautical culture, bringing them together by undertaking a programme of activities that promote the study, research, knowledge and dissemination of aeronautical culture, integrating history and modernity to raise awareness of the world of aviation in our country.
The Naves de Gamazo are the first permanent home of the ENAIRE Collection of Contemporary Art, an example of collaboration between government agencies that was made possible thanks to the partnership and joint efforts of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, the Government of Cantabria, through the Office for Culture, Tourism and Sport, and the Port Authority of Santander, which share the operating expenses of the centre in order to ensure the present and future viability of this cultural project.
ENAIRE Foundation is implementing digital museum resources to boost the democratisation of art and make it accessible from anywhere in the world. These new museum resources are now available on the Foundation's website.
About ENAIRE
ENAIRE is the air navigation service provider in Spain.
As a company of the Ministry of Sustainable Transport and Mobility, it provides air traffic control services during the en route and approach phases of all flights to and from Spain and overflights. In addition, it manages communications, navigation and surveillance services from ENAIRE in the airspace and the entire AENA airport network in Spain and provides aerodrome air traffic control services in 21 airports, including the busiest.
ENAIRE is the fourth largest European air navigation service provider, and it is a member of international partnerships A6 Alliance, SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) Joint Undertaking, SESAR Deployment Manager, iTEC, CANSO (Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation) and collaborates closely with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization).
ENAIRE has obtained the highest rating in the key performance indicator for air safety at European scale for six consecutive years, the last five with the maximum possible score of 100%. It has also been awarded the EFQM 600 Seal for its safe, efficient, innovative and sustainable management of air navigation services.