By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Recognized as the most important art industry event in Latin America, the international contemporary art fair ArtRio returns for its third edition this year. This weekend the Port Zone in Centro, under a major revitalization, will gather artists and art enthusiasts in Rio on an impressive scale.
Beginning September 5th and running through the 8th the event will welcome national and international artists representing thirteen countries, as well as collectors, curators and art aficionados to Pier Mauá‘s armazéns (warehouses) 1 through 5 plus Anexo (Annex) 4.
During the first edition of the fair in held in 2011, ArtRio featured 83 galleries and had an estimated 46,000 attendees. In ArtRio 2012, the fair grew, hosting 120 galleries with approximately 74,000 attendees.
“In 2013, our focus is on quality galleries, excellence in service to gallerists and visitors, and a concise curatorial proposal according to how the market behaves,” said Brenda Valansi, partner of ArtRio.
“We will have in the event galleries with strong prestige and international relevance, as well as major collectors and museum curators who have confirmed their presence. […] The art market in Brazil is rapidly maturing and we believe it is important at this point to stimulate the formation of new collectors and art enthusiasts.”
The fair is separated into four main sections or programs. The first is entitled PANORAMA and will feature both domestic and foreign galleries by artists who are established names in the modern and contemporary art markets.
PANORAMA galleries include; Gladstone (New York/U.S.), Anita Schwartz (Rio de Janeiro), Marian Goodman (New York/U.S., Paris/France), Massimo De Carlo (Milan/Italy, London/UK), Pace (New York/U.S., London/UK) and Victoria Miro (London/UK).
The second program/section VISTA spotlights young emerging contemporary art talents and will include works by Curro & Poncho (Guadalajara/Mexico), Société (Berlin), Y Gallery (New York), and Emma Thomas (São Paulo).
Responsible for the galleries that will participate in this year’s PANORAMA and VISTA sections is the selection committee of gallerists; Alexandre Gabriel (Galeria Fortes Vilaca/SP) ; Anita Schwartz (Anita Schwartz Art Gallery/RJ); Cecilia Tanure (A Gentil Carioca/RJ ), White Cube, London Greg Lulay (David Zwirner/New York, U.S.) and Matthew Wood (Mendes Wood DM/SP).
LUPA, the third program was curated by Abaseh Mirvali and is a new addition to the fair this year. This section includes large scale, unpublished or undeveloped works by seventeen national and international artists in fifteen galleries. The works will be housed in Píer Mauá’s Anexo (Annex) 4 and all will be for sale throughout the duration of the event.
Curated by Julieta Gonzalez and Pablo Leon de La Barra, the fourth sections of ArtRio 2013 is SOLO.This section is themed as it presents work that pay homage to sociologist Sérgio Buarque de Hollanda’s Visão do Paraíso (Vision of Paradise), a book about the discovery and colonization of Brazil which was originally published in 1959.
In addition to the four programs, the fair will feature a special exhibition entitled ‘Lost then Found’. The exhibit includes intimate photos of iconic American artist Andy Warhol taken by photographer Steve Woods in a hotel in France.
Also included into ArtRio will be the lectures; “Contemporary Collecting: From Private to Public” on Thursday, September 5th; “Contemporary Latin American Art: Critical Exchanges: Independent channels” and ” Art & Architecture: Designing Spaces for Art” on Friday, September 6th; “Contemporary Art: This is Art?” and “Artist: Calder” on Saturday, September 7th;”, as well as “Arthur Bispo do Rosário: Art beyond madness” on Sunday, September 8th.
What: ArtRio 2013
When: September 5th – 8th, 1PM to 9PM
Where: Píer Mauá (Armazéns 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), Av Rodrigues Alves 10, Praça Mauá, Centro, RJ
Tickets: R$20, tickets available through Ingresso Rápido .