Concept Map

ArteBA Guided Visit. Supplement dedicated to arteBA. May 12, 2012.

An overview of the works not to be missed at this year’s fair, by the president of the Galleries Committee.

Nearly a decade after arteBA’s shift towards the contemporary, this 21st edition definitely positions the fair within international parameters. Out of the 68 selected galleries, 18 are from abroad, so that the fair is now a visibility platform for Argentinean artists to measure themselves against their colleagues from Mexico, Holland, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, the United States, Chile and Portugal. The selection was made by a committee made up of Sonia Becce, Luisa Duarte (Brazil) and Estela Totah representing the galleries. The evaluation took into account factors such as general presentation, artists, set-up design and gallery profile. We worked with the difficulty inherent to choosing a limited number of galleries for an also limited exhibition space.

The presence of conceptual art as a strong trend in this edition is noticeable. Henrique Faria Fine Art Gallery (New York) and 11 x 7, its Buenos Aires version, are exclusively dedicated to this trend with artists of historical conceptualism such as Horacio Zabala and Leandro Katz, together with younger artists like Analia Saban, an Argentinean living in Los Angeles, disciple of John Baldessari.

Another of the galleries dedicated to conceptual art in its Latin American version is Document – Art Gallery. If art is a “mental thing”, as Leonardo Da Vinci wrote, Roberto Jacoby’s Maqueta (Model, 1966, Castagnino Roldan) is an example of an artifact that is not a work of art but instead the mental construction of the spectators by modifying its scale. It is next to Subasta (Auction), a sound installation co-authored with Alejandro Ross. Luis Adelantado Gallery (Mexico/Valencia) brings photoperformances by Sophie Calle, a world leader in neo-conceptualism, on the subject that the French artist has been dealing with since her beginnings: feminism and sexual identity.

Photography has achieved a relevant place in today’s art and is well present at arteBA. Santiago Porter (Zavaleta Lab) and Jorge Miño (Foster Catena) are two of the photographers whose works were recently acquired by Malba (Buenos Aires Museum of Latin American Art). Also in this medium, you can see the works of Ananké Asseff (Rolf Art), who recently exhibited at the YPF Foundation, the photographs on laminated plastic by Jacques Bedel (Sasha D Espacio de Arte), the reading rooms by Daniel Kiblisky (Arte x Arte – Fundación Alonso y Luz Castillo), the landscapes by Jasmine Rossi (Sara García Uriburu) and the series on Antarctica by Andrea Juan (Praxis International Art). Ro Gallery exhibits a site-specific environment by Marta Minujin that incorporates the viewer as an active participant. Diego Bianchi (Alberto Sendrós), with his sculptures recalling Alberto Heredia, and Luciana Lamothe (Arroniz Arte Contempóraneo, Mexico) were part of the Lyon Biennial exhibition that, in an edited version, is currently on display at Fundación Proa. Carlos Herrera, winner of the 2011 arteBA-Petrobrás Award, exhibits a sculptural piece at Ruth Benzacar Art Gallery. Among the masters of Argentine art, you can see works by Xul Solar and Pettoruti (Rubbers International), Forner and Bigatti (Alejandro Faggioni Estudio de Arte), Figari and Hlito (Sur), Berni (Palatina), Macció and Aldo Paparella (GC Arte), Del Prete and Yente (Renoir) and Arden Quin (Van Eyck Galería de Arte). 

Eduardo Stupía (Jorge Mara-La Ruche) managed to bring the drawing technique to the forefront in the cycle La línea que piensa (The Line that Thinks), which he curates together with Noé at the Centro Cultural Borges. There is an important representation of artists who draw, including Juan Ranieri (Aldo de Souza), Mariano Vilela with his Obras recobradas (Recovered Artworks, Schlifka Molina Arte Contemporáneo), Juan Andres Videla (Teresa Anchorena), Robbie Cornelissen (Mirta Demare, Holland), Matias Duville (Nueveochenta Arte Contemporáneo, Colombia), Mariana Sissia (Baró Galería, Brazil) and Gonzalo Fuenmayor (Dot Fifty One Gallery, United States).

Painting is present in pieces by Cambre and Kasuya Sakai (Vasari), Holy Family by Guillermo Kuitca (Del Infinito Arte), Ernesto Deira (Jacques Martínez Galería), Rómulo Macció (Isabel Anchorena), Juan Astica (Van Riel), Benedit and Kemble (Cosmocosa), among others. Galleries with emerging artists include Meow Meow, exhibiting works by Nahuel Vecino and Amaya Bouquet, Jardín Oculto (Cotelito and San Poggio) and Chez Vautier, with works by Pablo Guiot and Delfina Bourse, led by Gabriela Vautier, Cecilia Caballero and Monica Poggio.  

BY LAURA BATKIS