arteba 2023: 'Vibrant' art fair returns offering renovation amid crisis

Art-lovers, collectors and creators have reason to celebrate: the return of the arteba art fair is imminent.

“Argentine art is a vibrant scene, which despite its challenges attracts the active involvement of new names, new buyers, new galleries and new ways of making connections," said Larisa Andreani, the president of the Fundación arteba, as she explains what to expect at the 32nd edition of one of the most important art fairs in Latin America.

"During times of crisis there is plenty of room for renovation, and arteba is a constant source of stimuli to make that happen,” she adds.

This year's edition is open to the public from September 1 to 3 at Centro Costa Salguero exhibition centre (tickets available at www.arteba.org/entradas – the show is open to museums, institutions and buyers two days early to allow for purchases). It arrives with the art world at a crossroads – at an up-and-down period for politics, during an electoral frenzy and with the economy discouraging any transactions in dollars.

Facing this scenario, only 10 percent of galleries at this year's arteba will be from abroad. The organisers have sought to generate more demand than supply from other countries by exhibiting the works of over 400 artists, represented by 58 galleries from over 15 cities, but mostly Argentine.

The challenges can also be seen through the bid to recruit “new buyers of all ages – the same ones which according to Andreani surprised people at the last edition – and the push to draw in a greater affluence of visitors and collectors from other countries.

“Even though there is great electoral and economic uncertainty, which makes everything more unpredictable, arteba is the hub for consumption of art by Argentines and a remarkable window to open up collections at a regional level, as well as an endless source of new talents and options,” said Tomás Redrado of the  from the TOMAS REDRADO ART gallery based in Miami.

Estela Gismero, from the Del Infinito gallery, retains her faith in the fair and its internationally renowned artists. “We know it’s a year of uncertainty in all areas, and we are not exempt from that; but we continue to support art and this fair, which is a breath of fresh air and good vibes for those involved and the public alike. This time with such artists as Julio Le Parc, Rogelio Polesello, Andre Komatsu and Andrea Vita,” she explained.

The exhibition will be divided into two sectors: the main area, featuring more established and renowned galleries and the returning Utopia section, which is aimed at newer artists and creations. As a nod towards federalism, six new artistic projects benefitting from the MICA Utopía scholarship will draw in creations from Resistencia (Chaco Province), Rosario (Santa Fe Province), Calafate (Santa Cruz Province), Salta (Salta Province), Córdoba (Córdoba Province) and Buenos Aires Province.

Another innovation to watch out for is the arteba Award for Collectors, which will be awarded this year for the first time, as well as the Corporación América Foundation Award, which will acknowledge an outstanding artist by purchasing one of their works.

The event's organisers are sure that arteba will once again shine this year, despite the economic challenges and political unrest facing Argentina.

“Over 30 years, arteba has gone through different political and economic crises, and there have been very successful fairs with plenty of renovation,” observed Andreani.