Review
SP–Arte 2013

Forty two international galleries – 30% of the Fair’s exhibitors, represented 15 countries from Latin America, North America, Asia and Europe, this global representation of galleries further illustrates the diversification of Brazil’s thriving art market. SP-Arte also reflected a greater diversity within Brazil itself, which sequentially reaches beyond the traditional Rio–São Paulo axis. This year there were 80 galleries from Brazil’s Center West, Northeast, Southeast and Southern regions. The event also included a section dedicated to multiples, editions and Showcase, galleries selected to work under the curated direction of Eduardo Brandão and Luisa Duarte.

During SP-Arte, São Paulo was taken over by special events to welcome the Fair and its guests. Casa de Vidro, the former residence and historic home of Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi, reopened its doors in time for SP-Arte/2013 on April 4, for the exhibition The Insides Are on the Outside, curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist. Other events around the city included the exhibition O ar mais próximo e outras matérias, an extensive exhibition of artist Waltercio Caldas’ work, as well as Recuo, an installation by Iran do Espírito Santo in the Capela do Morumbi, among many others.

For the second year in a row, SP-Arte carried out a partnership with museums in the city of São Paulo, encouraging the public to visit and circulate among them. The participating institutions distributed tickets to SP-Arte/2013 including MAM-SP (Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo), MIS (Museu da Imagem e do Som), Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, MAC-USP (Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo ), Sesc, and CCSP (Centro Cultural São Paulo), and Itaú Cultural.

SP-Arte presented the second edition of the Curatorial Lab. The only project of its kind in the context of an art fair, the Curatorial Lab offered young curators the opportunity to develop and implement exhibition projects, composing a nucleus of curatorial experimentation within SP-Arte. The program received projects sent by young curators throughout Brazil. The four project designs selected by Adriano Pedrosa were by the curators Fernando Oliva, Mariana Lorenzi Azevedo, Monica Espinel and Tomás Toledo, who developed and executed exhibitions in a special section of the Fair, featuring artworks by artists represented by the participating galleries. Pedrosa accompanied the development of the curatorial projects and the setup of the exhibitions from the moment the curators were first selected. After the exhibition of their projects, each selected curator was awarded a trip to the Istanbul and Venice Biennials, an unparalleled opportunity for continued contact with artistic and curatorial production.

Once again, SP-Arte presented an exhibition on artist’s books with the intention of increasing awareness and understanding of artist’s books. The exhibition featured artist Fabio Morais’ artist’s book collection, entitled Bacanas Books, featuring artist’s books, rare editions, and multiples.

The selection made for the exhibition highlights certain works while also emphasizing the dynamics of collecting, and how this particular collection was put together. The acquisitions of Bacanas Books are narrated in a blog written by Fabio Morais, which is both a collector’s diary and virtual catalog.

Also in 2012, the Editorial Cluster enjoyed the participation of the Brazilian publishers Cosac Naify and Tijuana. This year, it has gained the participation of two more Brazilian publishers, Capacete and Parêntesis, as well as two foreign publishers: Kitschic from Spain, and La Silueta from Colombia. The books presented by the publishers have been authored by well-known artists, represented by the various galleries present at SP-Arte.