Visual arts and cultural events
Due to its particular location of capital city and its mixture of European culture and American nature, Buenos Aires has got a rich artistic history, appreciated in books and museums. Lately, something more is noticed: an itching sensation, an action, a rumor of artists and people fond of art which can be observed several times all around the year, when the fair arteBA or the Art week. The rumour, however, is found all the year round, every day, at every moment. Along the city , there are more than 120 art galleries which exhibit every day the best local and international pieces of art, with wide working hours and without an admission fee. Furthermore, there are 21 important cultural centres (and some others in the neighbourhood), 14 foundations and a hundred of museums, among we can enumerate, we find the “Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes”(National Museum of Fine Arts”, “Museo de Arte Moderno” (Museum of Modern Art) and the Malba. In the surroundings of the capital city, there are some other museums such as “Museo de Arte de Tigre”.
Interview with Gastón Deleau
How did the initiative of the Gallery Nights – monthly meetings in circuits with art galleries – start?
The event Gallery nights was born in 2001 as an initiative of Arte al Día, which was a pure publishing company at such moment committed to the magazine. We create other parallel company which develops cultural events with the objective of making people be in contact with art, without an intermediary such as magazine, newspaper, the internet. In September of 2001, the first GN took place around six blocks in the zone of Suipacha, Arroyo, Arenales, Santa Fe and Libertador. Only 23 galleries took part in such edition The last edition of said year coincided with the day Cavallo established the “corralito” (system which does not allow banking withdrawals) and it was the best of them. In 2002, we carried out four schedules – August, September, October and November – and in 2003 we presented schedules all the year round along the avenue 9 bde Julio and the main circuit was enlarged, from Callao to Plaza San Martín and from Córdoba to Libertador. 65 galleries take part in this event nowadays. There is a very concrete proposal, with four buses going around constantly. There are audio-guides for mp3 devices with a specific circuit of 10 or 12 selected galleries…The project was growing up and we added some neighbourhoods. We started with Palermo Viejo three years ago and then, Belgrano and San Telmo. Thus, the art week was created with the concept of Gallery Nights, with an opening concert and a complete schedule of conferences and guided tours around the circuits but also three gallery nights in different countries and a drawing festival for the entire family.
What can you say about the growth of this proposal?
The demystification of the art only for Rich people played an important role. Art is to be enjoyed; a person can go to a museum to observe without buying that painting. Some people though that paying an admission fee was necessary to visit galleries. When you arrive in street Arroyo in a Gallery Night, you notice that there are 2500 people walking around and you can go unnoticed; everyone can see, walk, listen to music, go to another gallery. That person got acquainted with art and if he felt attracted to something, he will go back to get informed about that some day. The Gallery Nights events imply a mixture between the social and cultural features.
How was the first public of the Gallery Nights?
At first, communicating was difficult but the first figures established an audience of 400 or 500 people in three, four hours, only along the street Arroyo. We said “Today Gallery Nights” and nobody knew we were talking about, nowadays more or less people know about the event. At first, friends, partners, subscribers to Arte al Día or Readers of LN, people related to art. The Internet advance made the message spread. The Newsletter prepared by the publishing company we send to the galleries in order to give forward to their clients appears in my mail box fifteen times. Thus, I realize that people participate in it.
When did this event stop being only for people related to art?
The overcrowding took place in 2004. More people understood that the concept was not based on shopping. It was about meeting friends and walking around. Many people go with their children, family, groups of friend because this event takes place on Friday. Every month, 2500 people visit it.
Are there tourists among them?
A lot, this phenomenon is incredible. It is true that there is a large spread of news; we send the schedules to hotels. Due to the fact that this is a nice place, there are policemen but also champagne, the event is over-crowded. We can listen to people talking in all the languages. There are also people coming from the inner part of the country. In the last edition of Gallery Nights, a bus coming from Mar del Plata arrived specially for the event. There are private guided tours for this event. In each Gallery Night, there are a critic and an artist.
How did the fair Buenos Aires Photo start?
The idea was born after going so many times to the fairs with Diego Costa Peuse, the general director of Arte al Día. We are partners in the event planning companies Art Communication. He has been the editor of Arte al Día for 28 years due to its particular feeling for art in Latin America. He frequents 20 or 25 fairs per year around the world; I go to more or less ten fairs, and we realized that the events around photography and video are increasing considerably. I thought about a small fair of photography with a closed concept…I am enthusiastic about photography. I consider that this technique has much more to grow. Then, we planned this project. The first edition had the participation of galleries from six countries and nowadays, twelve galleries take part in it. 70% of galleries which started with us three years ago are still working. The positioning of the fair improved very quickly; an alliance with the newspaper La Nación allowed to grow and reach an excellent means of communication.
How was the public at the first times? And what about nowadays?
In the first fair, in 2005, 12 thousand people visited the first fair while 19 thousands in 2007. In 2009 I do not think that we go above 20 or 21 due to its structure. The audience is young, a characteristic of photography and more specific than the public of Gallery Nights because the admission ticket costs 15 pesos. For that reason, visitors are fond of photography. There is a public from 35 to 40 years old, the photography is more approachable than painting and the fact that all of us take pictures, all of us feel ourselves as photographers. But also, the fair is visited by great collectors and thus the markets take form. As photography is more affordable, it allows people to buy a good photo at the cost they cannot buy a good painting…and there is a wide variety of photos, different types, sizes, tastes…
How much would you say that the positioning of Buenos Aires related to cultural tourism and visual arts changed?
The Malba was one of the main pillars, it is known over the world and people relate this museum with Buenos Aires. ArteBA is a boundary stone. In the beginning, it was perceived more locally, but for the last years an international platform has been developed and brought foreigners to the fair. The idea is “as I go to Buenos Aires, I can visit the fair”.
We have an amazing National Museum of Fine Arts, a Centro Cultural Recoleta with excellent exhibitions all the year round and more than one hundred galleries of art. Buenos Aires was always considered among the cities with greater cultural offer of the region. Recently, due to the currency exchange, tourism has grown up and the general view was focused on generating cultural offer every month.
Do tourists buy Argentine art?
Most works sold in the galleries are bought by tourists. The development of five-star hotels, along Posadas street, causes movement and makes people visit the galleries of art. Undoubtedly, the artistic cultural agenda of the city is nowadays positioned within the international calendar.
Which is the audience for the Art Week?
The Art Week means a growth of the pattern of Gallery Nights, because neighbourhoods are included. In 2009, a circuit around Puerto Madero will be added for the first time. The public is more or less the same than in the Gallery Nights. The unique different audience is seen in the Gallery Nights of Palermo due to the avant-garde performance.
Which of said proposals attracts more tourists?
I think Gallery Nights does because of its nine-year history and monthly period. There are ten per year. Our objective is the spread in order to that people go, take part, have fun, walk and meet with friends.
Interview with Facundo Gómez Minujín
How did the fair arteBA start and grow?
It started 17 years ago. Through its growth and experience gained, we can say that arteBA Fundación has been consolidated as an important character within the cultural Latin American World. This NGO has leaded, whithin the private settings, the strategies and actions which make this regional market grow. This means an opportunity to put arteBA into the international calendar of contemporary art, in which it takes part together with the most important fairs. The fair is considered as the centre for the Latin American art, which the most outstanding character of culture take part in. Year by year, more than 120 thousand people visit this fair, which gives them the chance of getting closer to an excellent selection of contemporary art presented by the greatest galleries of art of the region. arteBA`09, among many other things, established some terms and conditions in order to create these meetings between those who offer art and those who are looking for it. More than 800 Latin American showed their works in this great cultural event.
Nowadays, how is the importance of arteBA within the view of the arts in Latin America?
The hard work sustained during years has put arteBA in the International calendar of the market of audiovisual arts. The deepening of our policy of regional spread brings about that in the edition of 2009, the fair has the partiticipation of important galleries of Latin America (Brasil, Chile, Colombia, México, Perú, Uruguay y Venezuela); but also the main international experts in Latin American Art will take part in this event. This strategy puts arteBa in the must-see calendar of brokers interested in Latin American art, which are part of the regional and international market of the contemporary art. arteBa is the most important fair taking its history and importance at world level in the Latin American continent.
Why is Buenos Aires considered a city suitable for the art fair?
In mi opinion, the perfect mixture of features of hybrid origins makes Buenos Aires a unique city. A place which offers the beautiful architecture with the rich past, the exciting night life of a cosmopolitan city and sensuousness and cadence of Latin American roots.
Do you think that the fair attracts tourists to the city?
Of course, this is one of the most visited fairs in Latin America. This fact shows that there is much to offer to the audience. The emphasis is found on the Latin American art, for that reason, it works such as an invitation for those who feel identified, understand or want to learn something more.
How is Buenos Aires, its artists and production found within the International agenda of Contemporary art?
The characteristics of this incredible city make an intensive artistic production and cultural movement appear in places such as Malba - Colección Costantini, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Museo de Arte Moderno and a large circuit of centres and art galleries, in which something is taking place. Thanks to the globalization, the flow of creativity through abroad can be easily passed on.
Do you think that this artistic panorama attracts tourists to the city?
Of course, art is producing a movement of people and at the same time, they are moved by art. Buenos Aires, a famous city by its wide range of cultural options, shows one more time that art as an expression way calls and meets people everywhere.
