There are many ways to approach modern art. And precisely these days Madrid is a hive of culture with the Arco Fair as the epicenter of a large number of small satellite fairs that have found their audience and their space. In the midst of this cultural diversity, a Catalan passionate about art, Jorge Alcolea, has reared his head for the past seven years, heading the Alcolea gallery in Barcelona and head and founder of the Salón de Arte Moderno (SAM), specialized in the avant-garde of modern art. twentieth century.

Alcolea defends the unique seal of the SAM, which in the last three years has had the Carlos Amberes Foundation (Claudio Coello, 99) as its location. The room, small but very cozy, hosts fifteen of the best galleries in Spain specializing in modern and contemporary art. “The perfect proposal for those looking to approach art in a boutique format.” In this way, it defines itself as a fair that offers luxury items and very good taste and the possibility of taking a Dalí, a Picasso, a Sorolla or a Miró at reasonable prices. Works that are exhibited with a family closeness that break the barrier of exclusivity to fantasize about the possibility of taking one of them to the living room of our homes. “There is a very important market in Spain for modern art and gallery owners have been looking for a space like this for a long time, open to the general public, to offer the best of their collections,” explains Alcolea enthusiastically.

This year the SAM is hosting a temporary exhibition inside the hall, The Inevitable Art. Origins and correspondences, in which curator Jaime Vallaure establishes relationships between contemporary art and ancient art. The exhibition has archaeological pieces from the Iberian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman culture up to the Romanesque. Unique pieces that coexist with works by modern and contemporary artists from the different galleries that in this very special edition have their particular corner at the SAM.

Among the wonders that the SAM offers this year is the canvas Joaquín with his dog in Jávea by Joaquín Sorolla, especially coveted and for sale after having been part of the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts of Bilbao since 2013 and after several decades being part from a private collection. Another gem is a second edition of the Romancero Gitano by Federico García Lorca, dedicated by the author to Rafael Suárez Solís and with nine original drawings by the Fuente Vaqueros poet. Only until Sunday, when Art Week comes to an end and its doors close until next year, will you be able to see those nine signed Lorca drawings on the Romancero Gitano. “Then they will return to the collector’s private collection,” warns Alcolea, proud of this gift that these days he has been able to offer exclusively to visitors.

“Here comes an audience that does not feel intimidated like in other more imposing fairs such as Arco. In the SAM the visitor has the possibility of having direct contact with the works, getting close to practically touching them, talking with specialists, collectors and sometimes even with the authors,” says Alcolea, running from one side of the Hall to the other, waiting for that everything is in its place. An enthusiasm, that of this Catalan collector and gallery owner, that is reflected in the visitors who walk among pieces that could perfectly be on the walls of the best museums in the world. Hence the particularity of the SAM, which Its offer is variable and with affordable pieces. The galleries offer works ranging from two thousand euros to one million.