The first four days of October are the best possible introduction to Colombia’s burgeoning art scene. That’s when Bogotá mounts ArtBo, an art fair that pulls in work from 70 galleries around the world. More to the point, the fair shows off Bogotá’s local talent, including Mario Arroyave, whose work is pictured here. The top galleries are now clustered in the center of town and in areas such as San Felipe and Teusaquillo. ArtBo turns 11 this year, and this is the fourth fair under María Paz Gaviria Múñoz, who has put the event on the international radar. If you picture Colombian art as violent and outraged, you’re due for an update, she says: “A decade ago, art here was very much informed by armed conflict and social inequity. We see that less now. Personal themes are more common. Just look at the work of conceptual artist Nicolás Paris, illustrator Kevin Simón Mancera, and so many others from the younger generation.”
More Art to Experience in Bogotá
Beatriz Esguerra Art
Esguerra worked at such local institutions as the Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogota and the Banco de la Republica before opening her own gallery in 2000. Many of the artists she represents are conceptual, including Pedro Ruiz and Carlos Alarcon. Cra. 16 No. 86A-31, +57-1 530-0339
Flora Ars + Natura
Colombia native José Roca, former curator of Latin American art at the Tate in London, started his independent gallery two years ago and focuses on artists who deal with themes surrounding nature and the earth. Calle 77 # 20C-48, +57 1 6751425
Galeria Casas Riegner
Catalina Casas relocated her gallery from Miami to Bogotá in 2005 to promote emerging contemporary artists in Colombia. Notable names include multimedia artist Mateo López and Johanna Calle, known for her non-traditional drawing style. Calle 70A # 7 -41, +57 1 2499194
This appeared in the October, 2015 issue.
