The city of Buenos Aires oozes energy, creativity and life, which are strongly reflected in its art scene. During the years that I have lived here, I have been blown away by the creative talent encountered within and outside the walls of its institutions. It has often puzzled me why Argentinean art has not received the same international attention as some its Latin American counterparts such as Brazil and Cuba.  In describing the mechanisms of the Buenos Aires art scene, its galleries, museums and art fairs, I hope to share with you the enthusiasm and admiration that I hold for the visual arts in Argentina as well as certain frustrations, stemming primarily from lack of government support and funding.

Argentina’s capital houses an amazing quantity of galleries, ranging from antique to contemporary which are scattered across the city’s different barrios.  Each barrio or neighbourhood projects a distinctive identity.  The galleries exhibiting the up-and-coming, younger generation of artists can be found around more bohemian parts of town such Palermo, San Telmo and Belgrano whereas the more established artists and the higher price tags may be encountered in the historic barrios of Recoleta and Retiro.  Many contemporary art galleries, often located in white cube or warehouse spaces, echo the environment of those found in New York or London.

Several galleries have focused their attention on the art of the1960s and early 1970s. This was an extremely fruitful, experimental and innovative time in the history of argentine art, a period which received the international success that it has not seen since.  During and after the military dictatorship, which lasted from 1976 to 1983, the art world almost came to a standstill.  Many artists were exiled and those who remained were terrified to express themselves too honestly through painting.  It was not until the 1990s that the artistic energy returned to Buenos Aires.  Galería Ruth Benzacar carries a virtual monopoly on the best artists of the 90s, a decade which was heavily influenced by British Sensationalist Art.  The artistic tendencies encountered in Buenos Aires over the past few years have been of an eclectic nature.   Graffiti and street art have played a role, but mainly outside the commercial circuit and the geometric and the kitsch have made a come back as well as incredibly imaginative contemporary surrealist works often found within the walls of Galería Braga Menendez.

Many of these galleries are active participants of art fairs mostly within Argentina although some such as Angel Guido Art Project have spread their wings further afield, to destinations such as Shanghai and Madrid.  Appetite, possibly Buenos Aires’ most cutting edge and adventurous commercial space often linked to Trash Art, was the first Argentine gallery to participate in Frieze Art Fair last October.   A great number of galleries, however, struggle to take part in fairs outside their own country as the costs of the stand, as well as shipping, are extremely high and government grants and backing are practically non-existent.   Although this matter may seem trivial, it is extremely important, as international art fairs serve to bring artists to light outside their local environment. 

Every year around May, Buenos Aires opens it doors to its largest art event, Arte BA, which is attended by important international curators and collectors.   The participating galleries, some of which come as far afield as the USA, Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico must endure a tough selection process to be entered in what may be considered an extremely impressive art fair.   This provides the galleries with a platform to promote their artists and works and for the viewer to acquire a vision of both the established and present Argentine and Latin American artistic trends.  Although the artistic identity of the country, as discussed earlier, is difficult to label or define, Geometric and Optical Art took centre stage at Arte BA this year.  Eduardo Mac Entyre, Ary Brizzi, Carlos Silva and Manuel Espinosa, who were the founders of these movements in Argentina and producing these works at the same time as Victor Vasarely and Bridget Riley, were fetching extremely high prices.  The influence of this older generation was visible in the works of younger artists who had adapted and developed Geometric Art to fit more contemporary mediums such as video and installation.  This can be seen in Marcelo Villegas’ cut-outs and Sebastian Pinciroli’s videos.

Photography, video and instillation are just beginning to be considered worthy art forms today and even now, are tremendously difficult to sell.  The first Argentine Photography Auction was held at the end of last year.  Although the collection of works put together was of an extremely high quality, the bidding was slow and many photographs went unsold.   This may be attributed to the more traditional taste of older collectors and the younger generation’s waning enthusiasm for buying art.

Political and documentary art, which have taken the spotlight on the international art stage since Documenta 11 in 2002, are relatively unpopular art forms in Buenos Aires, which stand mainly outside the commercial scene.   It is surprising that several artists and collectives such as Etcetera and Taller Popular de Serigrafia, who have exhibited in International Biennials and shows in Moscow, Seville, Taipei as well as other locations, are virtually unheard of within their local environment.  The art-buying public generally wish to separate art from politics, which is always at the forefront of the Argentine’s thinking and conversation and a prominent part of the country’s culture. It is also clear that the deep divide between rich and poor, capitalist and socialist ideologies, mean that the beliefs expressed by artists in their political artworks, are not always shared by those buying.

The national art museums in Buenos Aires are scarce due to the lack of funding from the government.  The Museum of Modern Art, for example, closed three years ago and despite promises of reopening, there are little signs of its re-emergence.  The Museo de Bellas Artes, the most important national art museum, will not disappoint its audience in terms of quality and displays the most comprehensive collection of Argentine art.  A non-Spanish speaker may encounter problems in understanding the context of the works as the wall descriptions have not been translated into English.  The bookshop, which was stocked in guide books in several different languages, has recently been closed, as the museum could not afford its upkeep.

 Cultural centres, again-state funded institutions, are popular mechanisms to promote the works of young artists but suffer even more severely from under-funding.  The shows are generally poorly presented because the turnover is so fast and artists do not always have the means to frame the works.  These exhibitions often receive little or no publicity and rarely benefit from a formal opening or inauguration.  New talent, however, can often be encountered in these venues and the viewer will be surprised by the quality of the works exhibited in these spaces. 

The privately owned institutions form a great contrast to those recently described.  The Malba, Fundacion Proa and Museo Xul Solar are housed in state-of-the-art-buildings reflecting the aesthetic of the art exhibited.  The MALBA, the property of construction mogul Eduardo Constantini, may be considered as one of the best 20th Century Latin American Art collections in terms of quality, boasting works by Roberto Matta, Wilfredo Lamb, Torres Garcia, Xul Solar, Guillermo Kuitka, just to name a few.  The Malba inaugurates temporary exhibitions on a regular basis, introducing international artists such as Douglas Gordon to its viewers.  

Before I conclude, it is also worth mentioning that there is always something happening in the art world in Buenos Aires whether it is a talk, a seminar or an exhibition opening.  The art world is easily accessible to anyone interested and artists are always more than willing to show you their studios and to share with you their time and knowledge. 

I can only hope that I have emphasised enough the wealth of talent and artistic activity present within Buenos Aires.   It is a great shame that so many wonderful artists do not have the means or opportunities to share their talent with an audience outside Argentina.  Only a handful, such a Guillermo Kuitca, Leon Ferrari, George Macchi have benefited from an international career.  If the government was prepared to provide the funds to help artists show abroad, participate in international art fairs and biennials and loosened the restriction on exportation, there is a strong chance that Argentina would not be so isolated.  Even if the transport is relatively expensive, the works are still most affordable.  The government would be extremely wise to employ their art, as Brazil and Cuba have done, as a tool to promote their country’s culture and image.  The Sao Paulo and Havana Biennials, for example, draw attention to the local art scene as well as attracting tourism.  Buenos Aires could greatly benefit from a biennial which is has not staged since 2002, as well as a renovated and modernised national museum, which could help to project not only a more positive image of the arts but also of the city.  This does however require the necessary funding which Argentina is not prepared to allocate to this cause.