Review
SP–Arte 2015

SP-ARTE’s newest sections, Open Plan, a section dedicated to installations curated by XII Cuenca Biennial curator, Jacopo Crivelli Visconti, which included installations by Julio Le Parc, Sphère Blue; Daniel Buren,  A Cabana explodida, obra in situ, Homenagem à Oscar Niemeyer. Daniel Buren, abril 2015, São Paulo, made specially for Open Plan, where the artist dialogues with the architecture of the Bienal Pavilion building, by Oscar Niemeyer; as well as works Maja Bajevic, Diango Hernández and Attila Csörgó amongst others. In addition to Open Plan, the Performance sector was also a highlight with performances by emerging artists alongside reenactments of performances by important artists like Marina Abramovic and the 1968 performance by James Lee Bayer, Breathe (Two in a Hat), the sector drew attention from  visitors of all ages and consolidated the program on the third floor of the Bienal Pavilion with its interactive works.

This edition also hosted the Talks program – Art as a Value, a collaboration with Arte!Brasilerios magazine. Participants included Paulo Herkenhoff (Artistic Director of the Museu de Arte do Rio – MAR), Thomas Galbreith (Director of Global Strategies, Paddle 8), Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev (Artistic Director of dOCUMENTA (13) and draughtsperson for the 14th Istanbul Biennial), Ivo Mesquita (former Director of Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo), Marcio Fainziliber (Chairman of the Board of the Museu de Arte do Rio – MAR), Don and Mera Rubell (The Rubell Family Collection), Simon Watson (art consultant and journalist) and Sarah Thornton (writer and sociologist of art) who launched the Portuguese version of 33 Artists in 3 Acts at the fair.

SP-Arte continues with a strong programme of partnerships with institutions creating and reinforcing its relationships to support art initiatives throughout the year. This includes the Illy Sustain Art Award, founded in 2007 which supports Latin American artists under the age of 35. This year’s Illy Sustain Art Award at SP-Arte was given to artist Ivan Grilo, represented by Casa Triângulo and Luciana Caravello Arte Contemporânea.

For the second consecutive year SP-Arte and ICCo – Instituto de Cultura Contemporânea granted an artist the possibility to participate in residency programs abroad. This time awarding an additional artist, for a total of three artists to participate. The residencies were given to Beto Shwafaty, represented by Galeria Luisa Strina; Mayana Redin, represented by Galeria Silvia Cintra + Box4; and Pedro Motta, from Celma Albuquerque and Galeria Luisa Strina. Shwafaty will be received by Residency Unlimited (RU), NY, United States, while Redin and Motta will go to FLORA arts+natura, in Honda, Tolima, at Colombia.