ARCO builds bridges with Latin America
The latin american arta regular guest at the ARC Fair this edition unfolds in 'Never the same'a section in which he consolidates the work of different artists and galleries that “represent the variety of Latin American contexts” and that are overcoming the health crisis by producing from Spain.
"The context post-pandemic it is fragile for many Latin American gallery owners, both economically and to bring pieces”, said the curator Manuela Moscoso about the health crisis, which has had a “sepultural” effect on the culture and market of art”. A factor that leads gallery owners "to think twice about the risks".
With galleries that assume this risk, 'Never the same' is presented as a “mapping by Latin American art and its great artistic variety”, its curator, Mariano Mayer, told Efe during the inauguration of the forty-first edition of the fair, which continues with this section the commitment to Latin American art after 'Sender'.
Through eight galleries and nine Latin American artists, 'Never the same' has as its common thread the "Latin American task"a way of making art that reveals that "there is not a single art in Latin America”, but different manifestations inspired by each context.
With the difficulty of bringing the works to Spain raised by the curator, Alejandra Monteverde, from the Crisis gallery in Peru. Although all of his works have been produced in Lima by the artists Alberto Casari and Santiago Yahuarcani, Monteverde affirms that “it is always a problem to bring works to Spain”.
Its artists, precisely, have in their pieces the contrast of Latin American contexts that the section weaves together. While those of Casari refer to the capital, those of Yahuarcani represent indigenous mythology. “Both artists show the amplitude that gives the Peruvian culture”.
The Pasto gallery, in Buenos Aires, is one of those selected by the King and Queen for tomorrow's visit to the fair. Its artist, Mauricio Poblete, represents root elements of the country and also other contemporaries, in a discourse that, according to his gallery owner, Cesar Abelenda, speaks “of gender, identity and the body”.
In pieces that show the artist's Bolivian ancestors, "Inca and Mexica culture alternate with queer and non-binary," in a discourse that emphasizes "what it means to be brown, an artist, and non-binary in Latin America and in the world." , in addition to the need to “know the roots of the ancestors of Americadisappeared after colonization”, says Abelenda.
In the case of this gallery, Abelenda adds that bringing the works has also been complex, a problem that they have overcome “producing works in Spain”, where he explains they have previously brought “some structures started in Argentina” to be finalized here.
Although not in Spain but in Europe, this recipe has also been shared in the Continua gallery, which has two stands in this edition, one of them in this section and the other in the general section. “Jonathas de Andrade is a Brazilian artist who has produced his works in Holland”, explains Elisa N, from the gallery.
Colonization is also, in this case, an axis that articulates the artist's work. “Many people forget colonization Dutch in Brazil by the Portuguese, which happened later, without knowing that in the 16th century the Dutch were in the country for cotton”, he reels.
The AFA Gallery in Santiago de Chile has carried out, according to its gallery owner for sixteen years, Irene Abujatum, almost all of its production in Spain. “The transfer of works from Chile is very complex, so 90% of the works have been carried out here”, he explains about the production of Rodrigo Arteaga, the artist he represents.
For Abujatum, “returning to the art scene with ARCO is exciting”, since, according to the art fair, “he has great respect for Latin American artists and their work”, and it becomes the first face-to-face fair for the gallery after the health crisis.
Proyectos Ultravioleta (Guatemala), Piedras Galería y Hache (both from Buenos Aires) and Chert Lüde (Berlin), are the galleries with Latin American artists that complement this section, positioning Latin American art in the fair that, according to its director, Maribel López, It has not suffered too many casualties compared to others. "We have received two or three cancellations close to Christmas due to the pandemic, but it is normal”, said the director during the presentation of the fair this morning about a guest who is consolidated in ARCO.
