Mauricio Guajardo Wins Chaco Biennial in Argentina
Art & Culture · Southern Cone
Key Facts
—The winner. Chilean sculptor Mauricio Guajardo took First Prize at the 2026 International Sculpture Biennial of the Chaco.
—The venue. The biennial is held in Resistencia, capital of Chaco province in northern Argentina.
—The work. His winning piece, “Cubo Etéreo,” sets out to make stone, the densest of materials, appear to float.
—The field. The 2026 edition drew 439 applications from 70 countries, from which ten finalists were selected.
—The setting. Finished works are installed in the city’s public spaces as part of a policy of democratizing access to art.
Chilean sculptor Mauricio Guajardo has won the top prize at the 2026 Bienal Internacional de Esculturas del Chaco in Argentina, carving a first-place finish out of a field drawn from 70 countries.
A Chilean Wins the “World Cup of Sculpture”
The Bienal del Chaco is often called a world cup of sculpture, staging live carving before large public audiences in Resistencia. Guajardo’s first place puts a Chilean at the top of one of Latin America’s most prestigious sculpture events.
His entry, “Cubo Etéreo,” plays on paradox: taking stone, the heaviest and most ancient of materials, and making it seem to float. Judges rewarded that conceptual ambition alongside technical skill.
For a foreign reader, the nickname “world cup of sculpture” is not just a flourish. It reflects a competition format that borrows from sport: artists work against the clock, spectators gather to watch the process unfold, and national pride is very much on the line.
The result is a rare blend of high art and popular festival that has few direct parallels outside Latin America.
How the Competition Works
The 2026 edition received 439 applications from 70 countries. A jury weighing career and quality narrowed the field to ten sculptors who competed on site.
Each finalist works in the open air, on a strict schedule, with the public watching and even voting. The format turns a fine-art contest into a civic spectacle.
That public vote matters because it gives ordinary residents a direct stake in the outcome. It also means sculptors must connect with a live audience, not just a panel of experts.
The on-site schedule is grueling by design, compressing weeks of studio labor into a concentrated burst of public creativity that tests both endurance and adaptability.
Art for the Public Square
A defining feature of the biennial is that the finished sculptures stay in Resistencia’s streets and plazas. Over decades the city has amassed an open-air collection that has become part of its identity.
That policy of democratizing access sits behind the event’s reputation. Art here is not locked in galleries but woven into daily life.
For a mid-sized provincial capital far from Argentina’s main cultural hubs, this permanent collection functions as a kind of civic memory. Each edition adds a new layer, so a walk through Resistencia becomes a walk through the history of contemporary sculpture.
The approach also raises an interesting question about conservation: works left in the open must withstand weather and time, which means the materials and techniques chosen by artists carry an extra practical weight beyond the aesthetic.
The Regional Read-Through
For the Southern Cone’s cultural map, Guajardo’s win highlights how deeply Chilean and Argentine art scenes are intertwined. Cross-border recognition of this kind reinforces the region’s shared artistic ecosystem.
For Resistencia, the biennial remains a rare case of a mid-sized city punching far above its weight in global culture. It draws talent and visitors well beyond Argentina’s northeast.
The broader significance goes beyond a single prize. In a region where cultural funding and international visibility can be concentrated in capital cities, the Chaco Biennial offers a counter-narrative.
It shows that a determined provincial city can build a globally respected platform by betting on a specific artistic discipline and sticking with it over decades. For other mid-sized cities across Latin America, Resistencia’s experience is often studied as a model of cultural policy that generates both tourism and local pride without requiring the infrastructure of a mega-city.
What to watch next is whether Guajardo’s win opens further doors for Chilean sculptors on the international circuit, and how “Cubo Etéreo” settles into its permanent home in Resistencia’s public landscape. Another open question is how the biennial’s organizers will build on a 70-country applicant pool for future editions, and whether the event can maintain its intimate, festival-like character as its global reputation grows.
More: Argentina news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 Bienal del Chaco?
Chilean sculptor Mauricio Guajardo won First Prize with his work “Cubo Etéreo,” which seeks to make stone appear to float.
Where is the Bienal Internacional de Esculturas del Chaco held?
It takes place in Resistencia, the capital of Chaco province in northern Argentina, where finished works are installed in public spaces.
How competitive is the biennial?
The 2026 edition drew 439 applications from 70 countries, from which just ten finalists were chosen to compete on site.
Sources
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Sources: 2026 International Sculpture Biennial of the Chaco.
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