The first Latin American Art Fair in Córdoba

Starting Thursday, April 3rd, and running through Sunday, April 6th, the Capitalinas District will become the epicenter of Latin American art.

With a boutique concept, 16 Argentine galleries (from Córdoba, Rosario, and Buenos Aires), seven international galleries (from Chile, Peru, and Brazil), and a guest project from Mexico City will showcase the work of emerging and established artists at Capital, the Latin American Art Fair.

Thus, Argentine galleries such as Ankara (Colonia Caroya), Crudo (Rosario), Marchiaro and María Wonda (from Córdoba City), and Valeries Factory (Buenos Aires) will coexist with projects such as Gruta (Sao Paulo), Oma (Santiago de Chile), and Paiján (Trujillo). In addition, the Fair will feature the Guest Project PARA A, from Mexico City.

“Among the artists, Dagoberto Rodríguez, a renowned Latin American artist of Cuban origin and resident in Madrid, stands out. His pieces are part of prestigious collections such as those at MoMA, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Guggenheim in New York, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, and the Museo Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid,” the organizers explain.

In addition, the Chilean gallery Oma's stand will showcase, for the first time in Argentina, the work of German painter Ruben Eismann in dialogue with pieces by Chilean artists such as sculptures by Margarita Talep and paintings by Antonia Teillery, Bastian Pino, and Gabriel Holzapfel.

From Chile, the NAC gallery will be present with works by renowned local artists such as Pablo Zuleta, Maite Zubizarreta, and Javier Lewin. “At the fair, the public will encounter a variety of formats, prices, and sizes to encourage them to interact with, value, and understand what it means to have a work of art in their daily lives,” they explain.

The Importance of Capital. Antonia de la Torre, a painting graduate, explains that one of the contemporary characteristics of art is, precisely, internationalization. “At the beginning of postmodernism, there was a lot of talk about the idea of the Americanization of art and culture in general. Then we moved on to the concept of globalization, which is quite similar to today's internationalization; however, this led artists to largely seek to resemble in their works art produced in central countries more than art that captured their own local characteristics.”

Furthermore, de la Torre adds, in recent biennials, for example, there is the idea that art is valuable in itself, rather than based on the artists' place of origin. “However, I think that in this case, the idea of being able to also compare and parallel works from other countries with pieces with a Cordoban accent is very interesting. I think that in this parallel setting, this idea of internationalization is legitimized and realized. And therein lies the importance of this event.”

In an interview with Perfil Córdoba, architect and collector José Lorenzo indicated that, for him, there are two important aspects of an art fair of this nature in our city: “First, the economic aspect, because when a fair is held, a lot of people travel to the city, including artists, gallery owners, collectors, museum directors, cultural managers, and journalists. And all of them contribute significantly to the hotel, restaurant, and transportation sectors.

Furthermore, it gives those of us who live here the opportunity to experience artistic projects from other latitudes. And the second—and most important—is that it energizes the scene with Córdoba artists who become known to many people who come from outside.”

For Maru Becerra (Vía Margutta), a staunch defender of galleries and fairs, the holding of the Capital is of vital importance. “It's the movement we need for Córdoba. Lately, especially after the pandemic, people aren't visiting galleries like they used to. I'm a big supporter of gallery ownership because I think artists only grow through galleries,” says the gallery owner.

In this regard, Becerra recalls the case of artists like Chola Poblete: “A few years ago, she was at El Cabildo, selling her work for $200, and Barro took her to various fairs and even the Venice Biennale. I don't think she could have done it alone. Gallery ownership is essential for artists, and I think the union of gallery ownership and artists can't be surpassed.”

On the other hand, the gallery owner understands that artists who stay in Córdoba also “die.” “Of course, there are artists who manage their own careers and do it very well; they're not the majority, but some do. I believe the only way to sustain a career is through the national and international circuit, and this Latin American art fair is in that direction.”
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