{"id":20100,"date":"2026-01-12T16:38:41","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T16:38:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2026\/01\/12\/how-este-arte-turned-a-jose-ignacio-into-a-hub-for-latin-american-art\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T16:38:43","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T16:38:43","slug":"how-este-arte-turned-a-jose-ignacio-into-a-hub-for-latin-american-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2026\/01\/12\/how-este-arte-turned-a-jose-ignacio-into-a-hub-for-latin-american-art\/","title":{"rendered":"How Este Arte Turned a Jos\u00e9 Ignacio into a Hub for Latin American Art"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
<\/a>
Este Arte\u2019s deliberately small scale has helped position the fair as an early bellwether for Latin America\u2019s contemporary art market. Courtesy Este Arte<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the middle of the southern hemisphere\u2019s summer, an old fishing village in Uruguay that is now an exclusive and luxurious seaside resort becomes a magnet for collectors and millionaires from the region, as well as from Europe and the U.S. Este Arte\u2014a boutique-sized contemporary art fair\u2014is the primary draw, punching above its weight class with just a handful of galleries. The typical roster includes galleries from Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Brazil that have participated in fairs such as Art Basel and Frieze, plus international galleries like Galerie Jocelyn Wolff<\/a> from Paris that are looking to capitalize on a booming market.<\/p>\n

\n<\/section>\n

\u201cThis is a contemporary art fair that was created primarily with the intention of bringing the Uruguayan art scene to the forefront, so first we had to create a market that practically did not exist,\u201d Laura Bardier<\/a>, director of the fair, told Observer. \u201cThis year, on the first day, all the galleries recouped the cost of their booths, which are 20 square meters and cost $10,000 each. Some even sold their entire stand and had to rehang their works on the preview day.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Uruguayan living in New York, Bardier said the inspiration to create the fair, now in its 12th edition, came after working closely with collector and philanthropist Estrellita Brodsky<\/a>. She persuaded the Museum of Modern Art in New York to create a department dedicated to Latin American art in the mid-2000s\u2014a move that was later replicated by Tate Modern in London and The Met. With Brodsky in her court, Bardier sought to collaborate in raising the profile and professionalization of her country\u2019s art.<\/p>\n

Today, Este Arte is one of the first fairs on the Latin American calendar and kicks off a year of art weeks and fairs that continues with ZONAMACO in Mexico in February and April\u2019s SP-Arte in Brazil. German collector Robert M\u00fcller-Gr\u00fcnow lives in Cologne and has been attending the fair for five years as a way to add to a collection dedicated to young Latin American artists that he started in the early 1990s. \u201cThe difficult part is not buying the works but shipping them to Germany,\u201d he told Observer. He\u2019d just acquired a piece by Francisca Maya<\/a> (1985), who pays homage to the Uruguayan geometric tradition, from Black Gallery.<\/p>\n

The fair is held in the Pavilion Vik, a sober space located a few meters from the sea, opposite La Susana, one of the most exclusive beach clubs on this coast. On the open-air terrace, between glasses of sparkling wine, it is possible to see the sunset over the sea. \u201cI am not interested in importing external models or replicating formulas, even if they are successful in other contexts. I am interested in working from the specific conditions of the region: its rhythm, its relationship with the public, its institutional tradition and its scale,\u201d Bardier reflected.<\/p>\n

\"Sculptural\"Sculptural<\/a>
Sculptural works by Brazilian artist Vanderlei Lopes, brought to the fair by Almeida & Dale. Courtesy Este Arte, photo by Maria Ines Arrillaga<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With three locations in S\u00e3o Paulo and a fourth under construction, Almeida & Dale<\/a> gallery presented a solo show by Brazilian artist Vanderlei Lopes<\/a>: nine sculptures evoking liquids and everyday objects, with mirrored surfaces that intensify the illusion of water<\/keyword>, created specifically for the fair and in dialogue with the coastal landscape. Prices range from $10,000 to $38,000. \u201cIn contrast to larger global fairs, where volume often prevails, Este Arte favors deeper curatorial and commercial relationships,\u201d Hena Lee<\/a>, director of the gallery, told Observer. \u201cIt offers a focused context that has become increasingly relevant for us, as the fair continues to attract a growing number of engaged collectors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jocelyn Wolff gallery is a regular presence at major European fairs and has expanded into Asia in recent years with a space in Seoul. This was the gallery\u2019s first time coming to Este Arte, according to director In\u00e9s Huergo; works by Diego Bianchi<\/a> were priced between $15,000 and $24,000. \u201cWe found it especially interesting as a place that brings together people from many parts of Latin America,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The fair is one of the central events of an art week that offers unprecedented activity in a region where only 400 people live year-round. However, Este Arte is not the only player positioning Jos\u00e9 Ignacio as a seasonal hub for Latin American art. The Focus International Photography Festival, for example, held its third edition January 6-11. Less a commercial project than an initiative dedicated to promoting photography as an artistic discipline, it mounted free exhibitions in public and private spaces throughout the town, including art galleries, the central square and the Jos\u00e9 Ignacio Lighthouse. Produced by Fola and Arte x Arte, its mission is \u201cto promote the growth of photography within the art scene,\u201d director Gast\u00f3n Deleau, a cultural promoter who created the first museum in Argentina dedicated exclusively to photography, told Observer.<\/p>\n

\"A\"A<\/a>
Alongside Este Arte, parallel exhibitions, festivals and art events including lectures have expanded Jos\u00e9 Ignacio\u2019s role in the region\u2019s cultural calendar. Courtesy the Focus International Photography Festival<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Among the highlights of this edition, which was curated by Nicol\u00e1s Janowski, were historical images of Frida Kahlo<\/a> taken at her home in Coyoac\u00e1n by Colombian photographer Leo Matiz<\/a>, as well as an exhibition by Gaspar Gasparian<\/a> (a key figure in Brazil) and an exhibition by Colombian artist Oscar Mu\u00f1oz, curated by Jos\u00e9 Roca, Chief Curator of Latin American and Diasporic Art at the Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

One of the festival venues is Casa Neptuna, home to the Fundaci\u00f3n Ama Amoedo<\/a>, which also operates as an artist residency and has become a key platform for conversations around contemporary art in Jos\u00e9 Ignacio. It was there that Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung<\/a>, curator of the 2025 Bienal de S\u00e3o Paulo, was invited to give a public lecture, sharing insights into his curatorial approach to the biennial. Many of the collectors who attended the fair were present. \u201cMy humanity is contingent on your humanity and your humanity on mine. If I\u2019m not human, you\u2019re not human. It doesn\u2019t matter how much money you have,\u201d he said, summing up the spirit of the biennial, which concluded on January 11.<\/p>\n

\"A\"A<\/a>
Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, curator of the 2025 Bienal de S\u00e3o Paulo, speaking at Fundaci\u00f3n Ama Amoedo. Courtesy the Focus International Photography Festival<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another highlight of the art week was an exhibition by Mexican artist Ana Segovia<\/a>, who is presenting a solo show at the Cervieri Monsu\u00e1rez Foundation, curated by Magal\u00ed Arriola. \u201cThe Office of Inter-American Affairs Presents: Uruguay\u201d brings together a series of recent paintings inspired by short documentaries produced in the U.S. during the 1940s and 1950s, within the framework of the so-called \u201cGood Neighbor Policy,\u201d which offered a stereotypical view of Latin America. Segovia\u2014who will have a solo show in September at Kurimanzutto New York\u2014reinterprets cinematic scenes linked to masculinity in dialogue with the archetypal figure of the gaucho.<\/p>\n

Argentine collector and patron Ama Amoedo sees Jos\u00e9 Ignacio increasingly consolidating itself as a meeting point for Latin American contemporary art\u2014no longer just a summer refuge for collectors but a laboratory where Latin America\u2019s contemporary art scene tests its visibility and market strength.<\/p>\n

\"An\"An<\/a>
Opening night of the exhibition of works by Mexican artist Ana Segovia at Fundacio\u0301n Cervieri Monsuarez. Courtesy Fundacio\u0301n Cervieri Monsuarez<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More in Art Fairs, Biennials and Triennials<\/b><\/h3>\n

\t\t\t\t\"How<\/p><\/div>\n