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| SP-Arte | |
|---|---|
| Name | SP-Arte |
| Native name | Feira Internacional de Arte de São Paulo |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Art fair |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location | São Paulo |
| Country | Brazil |
| First | 2005 |
| Participants | Galleries, artists, curators |
SP-Arte
SP-Arte is an international art fair held annually in São Paulo featuring contemporary art, modern art, design and photography. The fair attracts galleries, artists, curators, collectors, institutions and cultural professionals from across Latin America, North America, Europe and Asia, and interfaces with museums such as the Museu de Arte de São Paulo, Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro, Museum of Modern Art, Tate Modern, and Centre Pompidou. It operates within the broader circuit that includes events linked to Art Basel, Frieze, Venice Biennale, documenta, and the Bienal de São Paulo.
SP-Arte was founded in 2005 amid a period of growth in the Brazilian and Latin American art scenes, following precedents set by fairs such as Art Basel Miami Beach, FIAC, TEFAF, and regional platforms like Zona Maco. Early editions involved collaboration with institutions including the Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo, collectors associated with Inhotim, and curators who had worked at Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and Whitney Museum of American Art. Over successive years, SP-Arte expanded its international reach with participants from cities such as New York City, London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Bogotá, Lima, Santiago de Chile, Lisbon, and Tokyo. The fair has been shaped by key figures linked to galleries like Gagosian Gallery, White Cube, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Mendes Wood DM, Galeria Nara Roesler, and by collectors and institutions such as Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói, and Fundação Bienal de São Paulo.
SP-Arte is organized by a professional team working with advisory boards, curators and partner institutions including the Instituto Moreira Salles and foundations such as Fundação Getulio Vargas when cultural policy intersects with programming. The fair typically occupies large venues in São Paulo alongside concurrent events at galleries in neighborhoods like Vila Madalena, Jardins, and cultural centers such as Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil and Instituto Tomie Ohtake. Presentation sections often mirror international models seen at Art Basel, incorporating solo projects, thematic sections, curated booths, and satellite programming akin to projects staged at Frieze London and Paris Photo. Logistical partners and sponsors have included multinational companies and banks known to support cultural events similar to Bank of America, Santander, Itaú, and foundations tied to multinational corporations.
Exhibitors range from large international galleries such as Gagosian Gallery, Hauser & Wirth, Pace Gallery, David Zwirner, White Cube, and Thaddaeus Ropac to leading Latin American galleries like Mendes Wood DM, Galeria Nara Roesler, Galería El Museo, Instituto de Arte Contemporânea, Galería Luisa Strina, Fortes D'Aloia & Gabriel, Galería OMR, and Galería Patricia Ready. Established artists represented at participating booths have included names linked to institutions such as Lygia Clark (collections at MoMA), Hélio Oiticica (works at Tate Modern), Tarsila do Amaral (displayed at Museu de Arte de São Paulo), Cildo Meireles, Vik Muniz, Beatriz Milhazes, and international figures associated with Yayoi Kusama, Ai Weiwei, Anish Kapoor, Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, Gerhard Richter, Marina Abramović, JR, Takashi Murakami, Kehinde Wiley, Zaha Hadid through design tie-ins. Emerging galleries and artist-run spaces from São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Recife, and Brasília participate alongside institutions such as Sesc Pompeia and Museu da Imagem e do Som.
The fair features curated projects, talks, panel discussions and performances engaging curators and critics from institutions like MoMA PS1, Whitney Museum, Tate Modern, Museo Reina Sofía, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery, and universities including Columbia University, University of São Paulo, and Goldsmiths. Special sections have highlighted photography, video art and design in conversation with festivals such as Biennale of São Paulo, Mercosur Biennial, Bienal de La Habana, Bienal de Pontevedra, and film programs tied to Festival de Brasília do Cinema Brasileiro. Educational initiatives often partner with curatorial programs at Instituto Itaú Cultural and collections like Fundação Iberê Camargo. Live projects have involved performers and choreographers connected to Grupo Corpo, Companhia de Dança Deborah Colker, and collaborative works with architects and designers from offices such as Ruy Ohtake, Oscar Niemeyer Foundation, and firms influenced by OMA.
Memorable editions featured landmark exhibitions and collaborations with museums including curated displays that later toured institutions like Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo and Pinacoteca. Highlights have included major solo presentations, first-time Latin American showings of artists linked to David Hockney, Louise Bourgeois, Francis Bacon, and survey booths devoted to Latin American modernists such as Tarsila do Amaral and Candido Portinari. Special commissions and public art projects involved collaborations with municipal programs in São Paulo and collectors such as Eli Broad and Peggy Guggenheim-era collections when loaning historic works. Auction tie-ins and sales periods paralleled activities at houses like Sotheby's and Christie's.
SP-Arte has been credited with strengthening São Paulo's position among global art hubs alongside New York City, London, Paris, Berlin, and Mexico City. Critics from outlets like The New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, El País, Folha de S.Paulo, O Estado de S. Paulo, and curators from Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and Brooklyn Museum have noted its role in promoting Latin American art on the international market. The fair has influenced collecting patterns at institutions such as Museu de Arte de São Paulo, Pinacoteca, and private collections including Inhotim Collection. It has also stimulated debates about market dynamics similar to discussions generated by Art Basel and Frieze concerning commercialization and curatorial practice.
SP-Arte typically publishes visitor information including dates, venue maps and access guidance coordinated with São Paulo transport hubs such as Aeroporto de Congonhas, Aeroporto Internacional de São Paulo-Guarulhos, Paulista Avenue, and metro stations serving exhibition areas. Ticketing options often include previews for collectors, public days, guided tours in partnership with organizations like Instituto Moreira Salles and educational programs tied to universities such as Universidade de São Paulo. Accessibility services have been developed in consultation with disability advocacy groups and cultural departments in São Paulo municipal administration.
Category:Art fairs in Brazil Category:Contemporary art exhibitions