Review
SP–Arte 2018


The 14th edition of SP-Arte took place April 11-15 in the Bienal Pavilion, in São Paulo, and counted on the participation of 132 prestigious art galleries from Brazil and abroad and 33 design exhibitors. During the five days, 34 thousand people visited the event, an increase in relation to last year. Besides more audience, a feeling of optimism was perceived during the days of the event and, at the end, the increase in sales proved that the sector is growing. Once again, the event brought together renowned international galleries and newcomers, which participated in the event for the first time.

“All of the latest economic indicators already pointed to Brazil’s economic recovery. We kicked off this year’s event quite optimistic and our expectations came true: excellent deals were closed during the Fair and the sales volume exceeded that of the two previous years,” said Fernanda Feitosa, director and founder of SP-Arte.


new

The Performance sector was one of the highlights of this year’s event. In a space dedicated to language, the public had the opportunity to watch five simultaneous and nonstop performances selected by Paula Garcia, independent curator and collaborator at the Marina Abramovic Institute. The participating artists remained in the room the entire period of the Festival, from the time the Pavilion opened its doors until closing time, day after day, in an exercise of physical and mental resistance.

The Protovoulia duet, with Jéssica Goes and Rafael Abdalla, created scenarios with a large amount of ashes, earth and porcelain. Performer and chef Gabriel Vidolin proposed an intimate and direct contact with the audience that sat at his side on the table. The Brechó Replay collective drew attention to the oppression suffered by blacks. The cause took shape on the walls that surrounded it, with phrases alluding to their fight. In the midst of this movement, Paul Setúbal tried to remain concentrated while supporting a 250-kilo structure of Franz Weissmann, trying hard to not let the monument succumb to the weight.

An already traditional part of the SP-Arte programming, Talks was transmitted live on SP-Arte’s Facebook page and included the presentation by journalist Adriana Couto. Among the panels, gender diversity and art, with Ariel Nobre, Rosa Luz and Paula Alzugaray; performativity and social or gender exclusion, with Paula Garcia, Maurício Ianês and Bruno Mendonça; São Paulo’s architecture in the 1950s, with Raul Juste Lores; the digital universe and its influence on the arts, with Giselle Beiguelman and Luli Radfahrer.

The last panel provided an overview of new practices by contemporary collectors. Akio Aoki, director of Galeria Vermelho, Aaron Cezar, from Delfina Foundation, collectors Pedro Barbosa (Brazil), Betty Duker (USA) and Pulane Kingston (South Africa) participated.

In the design sector, besides 33 exhibitors of major importance to Brazilian design, to respected antique dealers and independent designers, there was also a space for creators with signature works and an exhibit of tea carts that revisited 90 years of Brazilian design.


highlights

Germany’s neugerriemschneider presented works by Swedish-native Andreas Eriksson and Denmark’s Olafur Eliasson, as well as an installation by Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei, one of the most photographed pieces by visitors.

Stephen Friedman presented works in wood by Stefan Balkenhol, an artist updating the German tradition of painted sculptures. With offices in London and Hong Kong, White Cube brought works by Damien Hirst and Antony Gormley, of England, as well as by Georg Baselitz, of Germany.

Gallery Mendes Wood DM drew attention for its booth set up, which deviated from the traditional white walls and was surrounded with blue curtains by Daniel Steegmann Mangrané. The project d’OSGÊMEOS, conceived by gallery Fortes D’Aloia e Gabriel, was also another highlight of this year’s edition, attracting the audience and becoming a sales hit.

In the Solo sector, Recife-native artist Bruno Faria, from Minas Gerais gallery Periscópio stood out. The youngster drew attention with an exhibit of an old beat-up VW Brasília in the middle of the Pavilion, in a sharp criticism to the country’s capital.

The sculptures of Ilya Fedotov-Fedorov marked Russia’s debut in the Festival with gallery Fragment. The works in fabric by Marina Weffort, from Cavalo, enchanted the public for their delicateness.

In Repertoire sector, American gallery Marian Goodman marked its presence with pieces by Frenchman Christian Boltanski. Among Brazilian galleries that participated in this sector, Sé presented a new series of Arnaldo de Melo and Jaqueline Martins, with works by painter and engraver Victor Gehrard. Not yet widely known by most people, the two artists received considerable attention from collectors.

The 14th edition of the fair counted on the first-time participation of 29 art galleries from Brazil and abroad. Among the 16 Brazilian galleries that occupied the Bienal Pavilion for the first time, 12 were from São Paulo and its Metropolitan region. Such is the case, for example of first-timers Adelina, Verve and OMA, Janaina Torres and Houssein Jarouche, all of which were satisfied with the end-result of the Festival.