The most important art archive in Argentina and Latin America

30 years of Espigas, the most important art archive in Argentina and Latin America

The prestigious reference space for Argentine and Latin American art celebrates three decades of life. Learn about the history of its important bibliographic and archival collection, today consulted by public and private institutions, students, specialists and the general public, and its strategic link with the UNSAM School of Art and Heritage.
By Romina Bisignano

Books, catalogues, letters, manuscripts and photographs: a unique collection that has more than 250 thousand documents and preserves invaluable collections such as the Mario Canale Archive, part of Pablo Neruda's correspondence and copies of the documentary collections of Marta Minujín and Antonio Berni , among others. Since 1993, the year of its foundation, Espigas has preserved and provided access to this important bibliographic and archival collection that is today consulted by teachers, students, researchers, specialists from public and private institutions, and the general public.

30 years after its creation, the School of Art and Heritage (EAyP) of UNSAM invites you to learn about the history of this institution with which, since 2017, it has worked side by side since the creation of the Espigas Studies Center.

The Espigas Foundation began its activities as a non-profit NGO with the purpose of organizing and sustaining a documentation center for the history of the visual arts. The origin of the project dates back to 1989 with the Memoria Group, which proposed to create a center dedicated to local plastic arts. In mid-1993, this group acquired the only surviving set of documentation from the Witcomb, the country's first art gallery. Obtaining this archive was the basis and catalyst for the beginning of Fundación Espigas and its documentation center.

From that moment on, the Foundation carried out several collaborative projects with public and private institutions for surveying, research and the subsequent creation of publications and art exhibitions, as well as the organization of scientific conferences and meetings. Likewise, among other important distinctions, Espigas received the Konex Special Mention Award (2002) and the awards from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (1999), Christie's (2002), the National Endowment for the Arts (1996, 1997, 1999, 2001 , 2003) and the Andreani Foundation (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003).

The Espigas Studies Center, created from a historic agreement between the Foundation and UNSAM, brings together the joint efforts of both institutions and expands the objectives of the original project: working for the development of an editorial program and public activities linked to art Argentine and Latin American, as well as for the Diploma program in Management and Conservation of Art Archives, inaugurated in 2021, which provides the tools for the management and conservation of archives and documentary collections.

“The incorporation of the Espigas Foundation's collection made it possible to articulate public and private efforts to benefit the artistic field of the region,” highlighted Carolina Vanegas Carrasco when she took over as director of the Center. “With our knowledge in conservation, restoration, library science, archiving, management and art history, UNSAM professionals enhance actions on this exceptional heritage so that it is accessible and visible inside and outside the artistic field.” Along these lines, Vanegas Carrasco celebrated the joint work with the Art and Heritage Research Center (UNSAM-CONICET), which “guarantees having top-level projects and professionals who, without a doubt, enhance their collections through academic articles, books and exhibitions inside and outside Argentina.”

Note updated on November 22, 2023