Review
SP–Foto 2014
The largest photography fair in Latin America, SP-Arte/Foto held its 8th edition August 20-24, 2014, generating intense movement in JK Iguatemi’s event space in the weekend that traditionally precedes the São Paulo Bienal. There were many highlights during the Fair, which received 30 galleries from 6 different Brazilian states: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná and Pará, in addition to the debut by the gallery Marcelo Guarnieri, from Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo. “It was a very special Fair, with large involvement from the public, that was present, not only at the Fair but also participated in the encounters, debates and book launches in our programming,” says Fernanda Feitosa founder and director of SP-Arte and SP-Arte/Foto.
guided tours
The special guided tours organized by Iguatemi One, Credit Suisse, and Esther Schattan from Ornare, were a success. Curators and critics accompanied the groups at the Fair, commenting on works in each gallery and bringing the public closer to the works. The tours were led by curators, Jacopo Crivelli Visconti, Denise Gadelha, Denise Mattar, Isabel Amado, Paula Braga, Eder Chiodetto, Diogenes Moura and Iatã Cannabrava
acquisitions
The vintage works were the top attraction for VIP guests on the opening day. Among the works acquired on the first night were works by Geraldo de Barros, Thomaz Farkas, Gaspar Gasparian and German Lorca, aside from the panoramic images of Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte from 1908. Pequena Galeria 18 sold a vintage copy of a 1960 photograph by the Italian Marcello Gepetti with Grace Kelly and prince Rainier III walking through Rome.
Making its debut in SP-Arte/Foto, gallery Fólio attracted attention with its careful selection of vintage photographs of Andre Villers photographed by Cartier Bresson during the 1960s, in addition to the photographs by Marc Ferrez, which were oldest photographs at the event dating from 1855.
SP-Arte/2014 Brasília, held in June already started giving results, the collector that bought works from SIM Gallery at the event in Brasília also purchased works by Isidro Blasco by catalogue.
This edition of the Fair was remembered not only for the acquisitions by long time collectors but also by the institutions that are waging their bets on photography for their collections. An example is Itaú Cultural, which purchased works from the series Espelhos Manchados, by Gui Mohallem from the Gallery Emma Thomas and works by German Lorca from FASS.
encounters
The conversations organized in partnership with the magazine seLecT exceeded expectations with large turnouts in all the debates featuring artists and critics. Participating artists included João Castilho, Cris Bierrenbach, Claudia Jaguaribe and Albano Afonso.
book launches
One of the highlights among the book launches at the Fair included the book by Cristiano Mascaro who was present for a book signing at Dan Galeria. Celebrating its five years, Schoeler Editions launched the portfolios and photo case Diário da Viagem, by Peter Scheier, Internal Affair, by Marcelo Greco, and the photo case Falling Beauty, by Christian Maldonado.