53 galleries. 14 countries. 2 spaces. From November 13-16, New York will experience the second consecutive year of the Modern & Contemporary Latin American Art Fair, better known as PINTA. This year, PINTA’ 08 will include 14 more galleries than last year and in addition to its original location (the Metropolitan Pavilion) the adjacent B. Altman Building will also be hosting events. They are located at 125 and 135 West 18th Street respectively, near the Chelsea Art district.
Its purpose? As the name reveals, PINTA will feature Latin America’s modern and contemporary art from the 20th and 21st century, and will attempt to give a boost to all those emerging artists in the field. This year, PINTA will also honor Peruvian artist Fernando Bryce. His work deals with alternate versions of history through drawings that reproduce material found in newspapers, magazines, and other print media.
Now, I have to mention that if you’re an emerging artist in Latin America, to be featured in PINTA is like taking a giant, rabbit leap into the spotlight of the international visual arts stage. Why? Well, for starters, PINTA’s Museum’s Acquisition Fund helps museums with important Latin American art collections (such as Jack S. Blanton Museum in Austin, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the MOMA here in New York, and the TATE Art Gallery in London) purchase art at the fair. Also, this year around 20,000 + people (from the general public, to art aficionados, collectors, and academics) are expected to attend the fair, with sales of up to $10 million! Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that!?
Having said this though, I must admit that to me it’s kind of confusing as to why there has to be a fair solely for Latin American Modern Art. Isn’t it supposed to be (by now) recognized world wide? It’s as if in the United States, Latin American modern art is still, to this day, seen as unfamiliar and new; a field that people are not completely aware of. I don’t know- I guess I’m kind of having a conflict here: on one side, this fair seems extremely exciting, prestigious, and a definite stepping stone for Latin American artists. Yet on the other hand, I would have thought that by now, Latin American modern art would have already reached that prestigious place in the art field around the world. Either way, it’ll definitely be 3 days full of new and exciting works by a wide range of contemporary artists from Latin America.
Here is a list of the galleries participating in PINTA 2008: www.pintaart.com
Argentina
Alberto Sendros, Buenos Aires
Arte x Arte, Buenos Aires
GC Estudio de Arte, Buenos Aires
Jorge Mara La Ruche, Buenos Aires
Ruth Benzacar, Buenos Aires
Zavaleta Lab/ Arte Contemporaneo, Buenos Aires
Van Eyck, BUenos Aires
Brazil
Bolsa de Arte, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Arte em Dobro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nara Roesler, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Raquel Arnaud, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Chile
Isabel Aninat, Santiago, Chile
Colombia
La Cometa Galeria, Bogotá, Colombia
Sextante, Bogotá, Colombia
Cuba
Habana, La Habana, Cuba
Dominican Republic
Lyle O. Reitzel
England
Pablo Leon de la Barra, London, England
Germany
Barbara Thumm, Berlin, Germany
Mexico
Alfredo Ginocchio Arte International, Mexico
EDS, Mexico DF
Kunsthaus, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico & Miami
La Estacion Arte Contemporaneo, Chihuahua, Mexico
Emma Molina, Monterrey, Mexico;
Peru
Forum, Lima, Peru
Puerto Rico
Galeria 356, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Spain
Sicart, Barcelona, Spain
Aina Nowack Gallery, Spain
Distrito Cu4tro, Madrid, Spain
Poligrafa, Madrid, Spain
Venezuela
Durban Segnini Gallery, Caracas, Venezuela & Miami
Fernando Zubillaga, Caracas, Venezuela
La Carniceria Arte Actual, Caracas, Venezuela
Faria Fábregas Galeria, Caracas Venezuela
United States
RJ Fine Arts, Connecticut, U.S.
PanAmerican Art Projects, Dallas, Texas & Miami, U.S.
Alejandra Von Hartz, Miami, Florida, U.S.
Arevalo Arte Galeria, Miami, Florida, U.S.
Dot Fiftyone, Miami, Florida, U.S.
Hardcore Art Contemporary Space, Miami, U.S.
Sammer Gallery, Miami, Florida, U.S
Tresart, Miami, Florida, U.S.
Adler & Conkright Fine Art, New York, U.S.
Cecilia de Torres LTD, New York, U.S.
Miami, Henrique Faria Fine Art, New York, U.S.
Hosfelt Gallery, New York & San Francisco, U.S.
Josee Bienvenu, New York, U.S.
Latincollector, New York, U.S.
Leon Tovar, New York & Miami, U.S.
Magnan Emrich Contemporary, New York, U.S.
Mary Anne Martin, New York, U.S.
Nohra Haime, New York, U.S.
Praxis International Art, New York, U.S.
Y Gallery, New York, U.S.