arteCo celebrates seven years: A tour of the fair that unites tradition and modernity

Corrientes has chipá, payé, chamamé and an art fair that this year celebrates seven years of existence and that, despite its young age, has already established itself as one of the must-see dates. On the calendar of collectors, gallery owners, and artists, arteCo will take place from May 22 to 25 in the restored Galería Colón building, where the Gran Cine Colón cinema used to be, in the heart of the provincial capital.

Twenty-seven galleries have confirmed their participation in the seventh edition, exhibiting 36 individual artists and 23 projects and collectives from Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Unlike other fairs supported by foundations or private organizations, arteCO is organized and supported by the Corrientes Institute of Culture , headed by Beatriz Kunin.

Sitting in an office at the Buenos Aires branch of Banco de Corrientes, she spoke with Clarín about the upcoming fair, which was launched in Buenos Aires on May 5.

–This is the first fair you've organized since you took over the Corrientes Institute of Culture. How are you feeling about the process?

–Well, I've been in contact with the Institute for many years because my husband was at the helm until 2008. So I always experienced it firsthand, and art always attracted me. Since we arrived in Corrientes, we began buying works without considering their value in and of themselves, but rather because we liked them to live with, which was the key. There's a lot of work to be done; there are many actions, many fronts, many areas, because the Institute has almost 300 people working there. We have orchestras, ballets, and 16 museums under our care in the capital and in the interior. I'm working for a more federal policy within the province. I do less work in the capital, but we do a lot of work in the interior of the province.

–And were you also able to give arteCo that federal perspective within the province?

–Yes, that's right. But we also traveled to Curitiba, made an agreement, and received a super-large donation from a great artist, director of the Curitiba Museum of Fine Arts, for the new Museum of Contemporary Art we're about to open. And, until now, galleries from Paraguay have always joined us at the fair, and this year they're coming from Brazil and also from Uruguay.

–The new feature we also have this year at arteCo is the location, which changes every year.

–This year we have a movie theater. It's an old, very traditional movie theater that was closed for many years. Later, a company acquired the property and renovated it to make a shopping mall, an arcade, located in the city center, one block from the pedestrian zone, unlike other shopping centers that are far from the center. We had to find the location this year, and it was very difficult to find one. Last year it was the port, which was a very nice place, but luckily this year the port is full of containers, there's a lot of work, so it couldn't be used, and I certainly didn't want them to move it, because it's a very important commercial activity. And last year, when it was in the old power plant, it also needed a lot of work to restore its beauty; it's a beautiful building, but full of glass, and all the electricity needs to be replaced. This year, it's a five-story gallery, which was unfinished, with tons of amenities, including a stretcher elevator in case something happens. It has everything you need, an escalator, which will be a first for people in Corrientes, and a restroom on every floor. We've been working for over a month to get it ready because it was closed. But the owner company, with great commitment, is finishing their part, while we're working on the rest, because we have 4,000 square meters there.

–How did you work on the selection of galleries and the curatorship? Recent editions have seen a strong focus on local themes.

–That depends on each artist's presentation. There's always a regional art form in this, and Paraguayan galleries in particular have a very regional influence. The rest is diverse, because the galleries in Chaco, which have a lot of young people, are different. So there's a mix of everything.

–You mentioned Paraguayan galleries, which are already a classic, and Brazil and Uruguay are joining the ranks. What can you tell us about these offerings?

–From Uruguay is an artist named Paloma Szkope, originally from Corrientes and living in La Paloma, who does mosaics. We also have an Argentine gallery from San Juan, which also has a gallery in Punta del Este. So there are two, in a way, that come from Uruguay. And then Brazil and many Argentine provinces.

–Do you give galleries any price guidelines, such as, for example, that they have to have work at affordable prices?

–We always try to advise, so they can sell, that prices are related to the purchasing power of those who attend. And I think the intention of galleries or artists is to make themselves known, to be able to mobilize their assets, their collection, in some way. And that's why sales are so high. Last year, more than 350 works were sold during the fair. After that, sales continued because some had run out of works and sold later. So it's an activity that generates significant economic circulation; it's a revenue generator for the city, the province, and for the artists, of course. We don't charge any percentage for being there. On the contrary, we provide the space free of charge, the energy free of charge, and we've set up absolutely everything so that everyone can come and their only cost is their travel and bringing their work, nothing more.

–How else is arteCo impacting the local art scene? This is the seventh edition. How have you seen it change?

–I think we already have a national reputation. Because in the last few years I've been at the Salta fair, for example, Corrientes has a well-established name. We couldn't accept many artists who showed up because we didn't have more physical space. There was much more demand than in other years. There was a limitation due to the physical environment and also the security of the spaces. We can continue to add many more, but they all require space preparation and security to be there.

–And is there a local art market? Are there collectors?

There are many collectors. We have the tremendous honor of having great, renowned Argentine collectors visit us, who have also been major contributors to our local artists, major buyers. They themselves have generated an important movement and also bring people; it's also a way we have of showing works from our region in Buenos Aires, where the market is totally different. But at the same time, there are many collectors in Corrientes. Perhaps hidden until this fair thing started. But we are all collectors in some way. The small work you buy and keep in your home also makes you a collector. We don't know if it has significant economic value or not, but it's a work with which you share and live your life daily. But yes, we have great collectors of very valuable works.

–Are there any surprises you imagine will make a splash this year?

–We'll have a well-known national artist on Friday the 23rd, who will perform for everyone at the Bonpland Museum, located on the Corrientes waterfront. And at the close of the fair, we'll have a free show.

–How are the projects at the Teatro Vera and the Museum of Contemporary Art coming along?

–The Vera Theater is scheduled for its official opening on July 8th. We were a little behind on the lighting and sound aspects, but due to Trump's tariff changes, we were delayed in the delivery. It will have its gala evening on July 8th. And the Museum of Contemporary Art, the civil works are well underway. We are currently curating the works.

–What collection are you going to exhibit?

–It's a contemporary art collection that will include some of the work donated by a painter named Luis Niveiro, which is his own work and work he received in exchange with other artists. It's part of the collection of the Corrientes Museum of Fine Arts, which is contemporary art, and we have to send it there because, like all museums, most of the works are in storage.