By Blanca Escassi
First Collector will once again promote collecting at ARCOmadrid 2025.
Attention collectors who are just starting out and those who don't know how to take the first step! First Collector is the program that aims to bring collecting to everyone and encourage new buyers to enter the exciting world of art collecting and investing. This is a free service available to attendees of the upcoming ARCOmadrid exhibition , taking place from March 5th to 9th at IFEMA Madrid . But who is behind First Collector?
On the one hand, there is the Banco Santander Foundation, Ana Botín's bank foundation, which works to contribute to building a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable society. To this end, they work along three lines of action: promoting culture, social action to facilitate the advancement of vulnerable groups, and education and entrepreneurship as drivers of society.
Arte Global is an international art consultancy dedicated to collecting and cultural management projects for institutions, businesses, and individuals. It offers this personalized service tailored to the tastes, budget, and interests of the applicant, offering a selection of galleries , artists , and artworks. This service has also been available digitally for several years.
With this, First Collector not only benefits aspiring collectors, but also offers support to artists who, without the sale of their works, would be unable to continue creating. As stated by Borja Baselga, director of the Banco Santander Foundation : "With this program, we want to expand access to collecting, break down barriers, and demonstrate that acquiring art is an accessible and enriching decision for anyone."
On the other hand, Elisa Hernando , founder and director of Arte Global, explains that each year there is more and more interest in getting started in the world of collecting. This is what drives the creators of First Collector to continue their work. This is especially true at events like ARCOmadrid 2025, where there will be more than 200 galleries and 1,500 artists , making it more difficult to make a decision without expert advice.
