Awards

The Fundação Millennium bcp Award for Best Booth was presented at ARCOlisboa 2026 for the fourth time, consolidating its position as a key recognition of the fair’s exhibition quality. The award highlights innovation and excellence in the presentation of one of the participating galleries, while also acknowledging the work of its gallerists and artists. It reaffirms the Fundação Millennium bcp’s commitment to contemporary art and to promoting projects distinguished by their quality and rigor, thereby strengthening the dynamism of both the Portuguese art market and the international art scene.

For this edition, the jury was composed of Defne Ayas, Director of the Van Abbemuseum, and Francisca Gigante, curator. They awarded the Fundação Millennium bcp Award for Best Booth at ARCOlisboa 2026 to the Portuguese gallery Lehmann.

In its seventh edition, the Opening Lisboa Award once again recognized the best booth in its section at ARCOlisboa 2026. The jury, composed of international curators and directors of institutions linked to contemporary art, was responsible for selecting a gallery distinguished by the quality of its programme, its research-driven approach, and its innovative discourse. The award continues to reinforce the role of Opening Lisboa as a platform for emerging proposals and the discovery of new galleries and projects within the fair.

For the 2026 edition of ARCOlisboa, the jury included Övül Durmuşoğlu, independent curator; Ines Goldbach, Director and Curator of Kunsthaus Baselland, Liestal; Ana Laguna, curator at Kunsthalle Lissabon, Lisbon; Catalina Lozano, Chief Curator at Artium Museoa, Vitoria-Gasteiz; and Agustina Strüngmann, Director of Salta Art Foundation, Buenos Aires.

The award was presented to the Chilean gallery Espacio218, for its presentation featuring artists Javiera Gómez and Noël Saavedra. The galleries Remota (Argentina) and Plato (Portugal) received special mentions in recognition of the quality of their proposals.

During ARCOlisboa 2026, the Studiolo Collection – Candela A. Soldevilla presented its Acquisition Award for the second consecutive year, granting it to artist Paloma de la Cruz, represented by T20 Gallery.

Created as an initiative to recognize, promote, and support contemporary art, the award further reinforces, in its second edition, the collection’s commitment to emerging artists exhibiting at the fair.

During ARCOlisboa 2026, MACAM – Museu de Arte Contemporânea Armando Martins presented the II MACAM Acquisition Award to a work by artist Ângela Ferreira, represented by Arte de Gema Gallery, which was selected to join the museum’s permanent collection. The award underscored the institution’s commitment to the promotion of contemporary art and reinforced its role as a dynamic bridge between artists and audiences on an international scale.

MACAM is the first museum and five-star hotel of its kind in Europe. Located within the historic Palácio Condes da Ribeira Grande complex and a contemporary extension, between the cultural districts of Alcântara and Belém in Lisbon, the site covers 13,000 square metres, of which 2,000 square metres are dedicated to exhibition spaces.

Founded by the Portuguese collector and entrepreneur Armando Martins, the museum presents his personal art collection, comprising more than 600 works spanning from the late nineteenth century to the present day. The project represents the culmination of five decades of passion and commitment to collecting modern and contemporary art. Under the direction of Adelaide Ginga, the museum reflects its founder’s firm belief that art should be accessible to everyone. This philosophy is embodied both in the project’s motto, The House of Private Collections, and in a curatorial programme that invites other private collectors to present works from their collections in MACAM’s galleries.

Established in 1986, the FLAD Contemporary Art Collection has acquired a distinctive position within the Portuguese institutional landscape, thanks to the excellence of its acquisitions and the way in which it has developed a central focus largely built around drawing, a medium that defines much of its identity.

With an almost exclusive focus on Portuguese art, the collection brings together leading figures from the second half of the twentieth century while continuing to support emerging artists across a wide range of disciplines, including painting, photography, sculpture, moving image, and, naturally, drawing.

At ARCOlisboa 2026, FLAD reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the Portuguese artistic ecosystem, highlighting the role that ARCO has historically played in consolidating cultural ties between Portugal and Spain, as well as in promoting Portuguese art internationally. This initiative also reflects FLAD's support for the professionalisation of the gallery sector and for the essential role galleries play in promoting and increasing the visibility of artists, both nationally and internationally

The I FLAD Acquisition Award at ARCOlisboa 2026 was presented to artist Catarina Dias, represented by Jahn und Jahn Gallery, and artist Pedro Vaz, represented by Kubikgallery. The award recognises the quality of their artistic careers and contributes to strengthening the presence and dissemination of contemporary Portuguese art.

The Kells Collection was established in 1996 with a focus on modern art, particularly painting and sculpture. From 2004 onwards, it evolved towards contemporary art, incorporating new artistic languages such as photography, video, and installation.

Since then, the collection has grown steadily to encompass several hundred works, developing an eclectic character and a particular interest in language and communication. It brings together emerging artists alongside established figures from both the national and international art scenes.

Selections from the collection have been exhibited in Santander at the Palacete del Embarcadero במסגרת PhotoEspaña, at the Centro Párraga in Murcia, and at the Centro del Carmen in Valencia. In 2019, it received the “A” Award for Collecting from the ARCO Foundation.

At ARCOlisboa 2026, the Kells Collection presented the I Kells Collection Acquisition Award to artist Elena Núñez Mallén, represented by Vangar Gallery, who exhibited her work within the Opening section.

The Fundação Vasco Vieira de Almeida maintains an ongoing commitment to the promotion and dissemination of contemporary Portuguese art, supporting initiatives that contribute to strengthening the national artistic ecosystem and encouraging the work of its creators. Through its collection and acquisition programmes, the foundation has established a consistent approach focused on recognising significant artists from different generations and promoting the value of contemporary artistic production.

At ARCOlisboa 2026, the Fundação Vasco Vieira de Almeida celebrated the fifth edition of its Acquisition Award, reaffirming its connection to the fair as a privileged platform for exchange among artists, galleries, collectors, and institutions. On this occasion, the foundation expanded its collection through the acquisition of a work by artist Vasco Araújo, represented by Francisco Fino Gallery.