10-14 Feb 2005. The annual ARCO festival in Madrid is a must on the calendar of anyone with an interest in the contemporary art scene. Taking place at the IFERMA Parque Ferial Juan Carlos 1, this years extravaganza features the usual array of modern and contemporary art from countries far and wide. There are 250 galleries covering everything from avant-garde to modern, contemporary, emerging and experimental Art, in a variety of media (paint, sculpture, installations, photography, video and new media art), 100 of the galleries feature works by Spanish artists and the other 150 those of foreigners. There are a number of projection rooms as well as plenty of opportunities to get the latest news from the best art magazines, specialised press, art bookstores and publishers. Mexican and Latino art feature heavily among the invited works with a selection of some 12 Mexican galleries curated by Carlos Ashida and Julian Zugazagoitia, and individual projects curated by Itala Schmeltz and Edgardo Ganado. A programme of Latin American art promises to enthral as does a selection of works by emerging young artists from the Caribbean and Central America. An experts forum will be covering a number of themes and a cycle of conferences and debates chaired by Pablo Helguera. Open from 11.00 to 21.30. Tickets costs from 24 to 58, with discounts for students.