Helga de Alvear
Helga de Alvear collected contemporary art, with early attention to photography, video and installation, and gathered about 3,000 works. She first bought art in 1967 from the dealer Juana Mordo. Her collection is shown at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Helga de Alvear in Caceres, which continues after her death in 2025.
Artists named in the collection
Louise Bourgeois, Nan Goldin, Doris Salcedo, Tacita Dean, Olafur Eliasson, Wassily Kandinsky, Pablo Picasso, Francisco Goya
On record
- The foundation was established in 2006, and its first phase in the Casa Grande building opened in 2010.
- King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia inaugurated the 8,000 square metre annexe by Tunon Arquitectos on 25 February 2021.
- The opening display showed about 200 works.
Institutional roles
- Founder, Fundacion Helga de Alvear
Questions
What does Helga de Alvear collect?Helga de Alvear collected contemporary art, with early attention to photography, video and installation, and gathered about 3,000 works. She first bought art in 1967 from the dealer Juana Mordo. Her collection is shown at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Helga de Alvear in Caceres, which continues after her death in 2025.
Which artists are in the Helga de Alvear collection?Cited sources name works by Louise Bourgeois, Nan Goldin, Doris Salcedo, Tacita Dean, Olafur Eliasson, Wassily Kandinsky, Pablo Picasso, Francisco Goya.
Can the public see the collection of Helga de Alvear?Yes. Works are shown at Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Helga de Alvear in Caceres, Spain.
Sources
- Helga de Alvear, Spanish gallerist and collector, 1936-2025: obituary, ArtReview, 2025
- New museum for vast contemporary collection of dealer Helga de Alvear in Spain, The Art Newspaper, 2021
Last verified 2026-10-31.
Related collectors
Michael Audain, Lito and Kim Camacho, Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys (The Dean Collection), Dimitris Daskalopoulos, Harald Falckenberg, Ella Fontanals-Cisneros