By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Five spacious former warehouses located at Rio de Janeiro’s Pier Maua will again house the works of thousands of artists represented by hundreds of galleries from around the world, as the fourth edition of the modern and contemporary art fair known as ArtRio will take place from September 10th through September 14th.
Opening to the general public on Thursday, September 11th, ArtRio 2014, in addition to exhibiting works from galleries around the world, will include installations and discussions presented by global art market professionals.
“ArtRio will bring the main collectors, artists, curators and galleries in the current market together in Rio de Janeiro,” Brenda Valansi, one of ArtRio’s organizers, explained in a prepared statement.
One of the biggest art industry events in Latin America, ArtRio annually presents collections from more than one hundred Brazilian and international galleries with the works of approximately two thousand artists on display during the fair. The fair attracts buyers and art lovers from around the world and last year saw an estimated 52,000 attendees during the fair’s four-day duration.
The works exhibited during the fair are separated into four main sections; PANORAMA, VISTA, LUPA and SOLO. The PANORAMA section includes established Brazilian and international galleries with exhibited works by artists who are well known in the modern and contemporary art markets. Highlights from this edition, include works by Oleg Dou, Yayoi Kusama, Keith Haring, Marc Chagall, Vik Muniz, Salvador Dalí, Liliana Porter, Julian Schnabel, and flimmaker Harmony Korine, among others.
The VISTA section of the fair focuses on the works of emerging contemporary artists and galleries and will include works by Olga de Amaral, Erica Ferrari and Nani Lamarque, among others. Traditionally, ArtRio’s LUPA space hosts large scale installations, sculptures and specially commissioned artists’ projects for the fair. Included this year will be Daniel Acosta’s 2006 piece entitled, Multifunktionalcosmocave; Interiores by Héctor Zamora; Martheus Rochha Pitta’s 2005 piece, Drive In ; and Damián Ortega’s 2009 work entitled, Bartolomeu Mitre 332.
Finally the SOLO section, which follows a different conceptual theme during every edition of the fair, will this year consist of works by artists invited by curators Julieta Gonzalez and Pablo Leon. Artists include; Guy de Conintet from the Air de Paris gallery, France; Emilia Azcarate and Guilhermo Deisler from the Henrique Faria Fine Art Gallery, U.S.; Pablo Accinelli and Mauricio Lupini from the Ignacio Liprandi gallery, Argentina; and Mauro Restiffe and Rivane Neunschwander from Galeria Fortes Vilaça, Brasil.
In addition to the exhibitor sections, ArtRio 2014 will include Art Talks, which will consist of discussions between figures within both the Brazilian and international art markets.
“The event is already recognized worldwide as one of the most important moments in art,” said Valansi, adding; “Increasingly our focus is to improve the show itself and also have areas and spaces for discussions and the exchange of knowledge. In 2014, we will have a series of lectures about art collecting, which is a theme dominating the entire market.”
Notable talks during the fair include; “Artistic Status – Valuation,” presented by curator and director of Fundación Jumex, Patrick Charpenel and mediated by writer and art critic Lisette Lagnado on Setember 11th at 4PM; “Share, Educate – Social Interaction,” presented by Director of Art and Cultural Programs at the Institue Inhotim, Rodrigo Moura at 5PM on September 11th; and “Legitimisation,” presented by curator of the Orange County Museum of Art, Dan Cameron on the 12th at 4PM.
For more information, a complete list of artists, exhibitors, presenters and a schedule of the discussions, see the official ArtRio 2014 website.
What: ArtRio 2014
When: September 10th – 14th, open 1PM to 9PM Monday – Saturday and on Sunday, September 14th 1PM to 8PM.
Where:Píer Mauá (Armazéns/Warehouses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), Avenida Rodrigues Alves 10, Praça Mauá, Centro, RJ
Entrance: R$15-R$30, tickets available through Ingresso Rápido.