Arteclásica shows all contemporary styles

Finally, some figurative art.

The sixth edition of Arteclásica, the only BA art fair that gives considerable space to contemporary figurative art, is in full swing in Pavilions 1 and 2 of the Costa Salguero exhibition complex on the Costanera Norte riverside drive.
The motto of this fair is Plurality and Quality. Thus it gives a rather revolutionary respite from the deluge of experimental and alternative products of the younger generation that has been occupying most of the space of other shows for several years now. They too are present in Arteclásica, but as a minority.

Every year, Arteclásica invites a different foreign country to send works by its contemporary artists. This year it was the turn of Japan, a country with styles and an aesthetic sense that are quite different from those of Argentina. Artists and art specialists give afternoon lectures on technical and philosophical subjects of interest to the art world every day from 4pm to 8pm.
The fair will be open daily from 1pm to 10pm until Saturday November 7. General admission costs 20 pesos.
It is to be hoped that next year Arteclásica will be staged in a more centrally located exhibition center that is easier to get to for people without a car. Only the 33 bus goes there and it is packed with passengers in the late afternoon and evening. And who wants to wait for a bus in that area – or even be there – at night?
Information: http://www.arteclasica.com.ar/.

FOTO CREDIT: Arteclásica.

Design Month in Buenos Aires

A good excuse to go shopping.

Marcelo Imbellone /FST
Buenos Aires has triumphed in design after consecrating itself in contemporary art. In 2005 it was designated as the first City of Design within the UNESCO Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity’s Creative Cities Network, created in 2004. It now shares this distinction with Berlin, Montreal and Kobe. The cities that receive this honor are those that have made creativity part of their development strategy.
The Argentine capital is the third largest city in Latin America. It has a cosmopolitan population, thanks to the arrival of many European and Middle Eastern immigrants during the 20th century. The cultural sector provides 4% of local jobs. Public and private investments have encouraged the development of modern architecture, new urban design, and public spaces. Different groups of designers contribute to a constant renovation of creativity, and several design-related events take place in the city every year.

In response to the distinction awarded by the UNESCO, the Buenos Aires city government’s Metropolitan Design Center (CMD) has declared October a “Design Month.” The program includes more than 100 activities, among which are lectures, workshops, shows, open studios and presentations of new products for people in the business.

The part of the program that appeals to tourists is the “Shop Windows Circuit” of the businesses that sell creative clothing, footwear, jewelry, objects and graphic design in the neighborhoods of San Telmo-Barracas, Recoleta and Palermo. How do you know which is which? The program member exhibits a CMD logo. The products and prototypes displayed in shop windows are “responsible design” items made with recycled, environment-friendly materials. The best shop window will receive a 5,000-peso prize.

With a single exception, the design shops that appear on the CMD’s “Circuito de Vidrieras” map are not on the big commercial avenues, but rather on the side streets where there are a lot of small businesses. The 12 listed for Palermo are on Gurruchaga, Armenia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Humboldt and Thames streets; the five in Recoleta appear on Uruguay, Quintana and Juncal streets; and the seven mentioned in San Telmo are on Defensa, Balcarce, Perú, Carlos Calvo and Humberto Iº streets. The only one in Barracas is on Av. Montes de Oca. You can’t get the map off http://www.cmd.gob.ar/, however; you have to stumble on a shop with the logo in its window and ask the clerk for one.
But those who are interested in shopping in San Telmo can get a map off the Internet by visiting the neighborhood website http://www.santelmoonline.com/ and clicking on “Guía.” There they will see a list of 25 participants that is much longer and more representative than the one in the CMD folder.

PHOTO CREDIT: Interior and display window of one of the L'Ago art and design shops in San Telmo http://www.lagosantelmo.com/. Marcelo Imbellone.

Enjoying the back-room

The Expotrastiendas art gallery fair has something for all tastes.

In Buenos Aires, the 9th edition of the Expotrastiendas art gallery fair is presenting works of the artists of more than 70 art galleries along an open zig-zagging course that takes paintings, sculptures, installations and audiovisuals out of the cubicle stalls typical of such exhibitions and puts them into a network in which all are be seen by all visitors. The objective of this art fair, organized by the Argentine Association of Art Galleries, is to exhibit works of all styles and tendencies by artists of all ages for the benefit of collectors and buyers as well as the general public. During the five days that the show will be on (Oct. 16-20 this year) at the Centro Municipal de Exposiciones (City Exhibitions Center) at Figueroa Alcorta and Pueyrredón, there will also be seminars, book presentations and lectures by people from the art and cultural scene. Information: http://www.expotrastiendas.com.ar/.

PHOTO CREDITS (from top to bottom): "Argentine Art in the 1920s," a retrospective exhibition in the 2009 Expotrastiendas’ Institutional Presentation sector; Paintings by Berta Goldwaser, from the Norma Duek art gallery; and Paintings and sculptures from Renata Schussheim’s "Epiphany" show, all by Marcelo Imbellone.

End of the World Biennial

Focus on climatic change.

At the 2nd End of the World Biennial, which is now on in Ushuaia in the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego, installations and other works that artists from different parts of the world have dedicated to the problem of climatic change will be on view until May 24.
As was the case during the first edition in 2007, the works are shown in different buildings and locations around the provincial capital. This year, visitors are seeing them in the hangar of the formal naval airport, the old power house, the Maritime Museum in the old prison building, the Packewala cinema and Yatana Park. There are also various installations in public spaces.
These locations are open from 3pm to 8pm Tuesday to Friday and 11am to 8pm Saturday and Sunday. All the exhibitions are free, but you have to pay to go into the Maritime Museum and Yatana Park.
For more information on the Biennial, and the schedules of the guided tours in the museum, power house and hangar, visit http://www.bienalfindelmundo.org/ and http://www.tierradelfuego.org.ar/.

BA's big art fair

From the classic to the daring.

From May 22 to 26, the 18th edition of arteBA, Argentina’s most important art show, will take place at the Rural Society grounds in Palermo. Leading art galleries will show the work of

their protégés, which varies from the classic to the daring. Information: http://www.arteba.org/.

PHOTO CREDIT: Arte BA official Website.

Turrell at Colomé

James Turrell, the US artist of light, space and perception, recently inaugurated a museum dedicated to his work at Donald Hess’ Colomé high-altitude winery in the province of Salta, giving travelers an additional reason to book in at the property’s exclusive lodge.

Above: Photo courtesy of Estancia Colomé / Robert Russo. Below: Photos courtesy of Estancia Colomé / Florian Holzherr.