São Paulo International Art Fair , Brazil
Deadline: 15 October 2015
Galleries are invited to join the São Paulo International Art Fair (SP-Arte) for its 12th edition.
SP-Arte/2016 will take place April 7–10, 2016, with a VIP/Professional Preview on April 6. SP-Arte is the leading art fair in Latin America, presenting the best of modern and contemporary art. Galleries interested in participating in the 2016 edition of SP-Arte can access the online application here.
In 2015, SP-Arte experienced one of its best editions yet, welcoming 140 participating galleries from 17 countries. Visitors included collectors, curators, academics, and museum professionals from around the world. SP-Arte presents one of the most important moments in the art calendar in Brazil: as the German newspaper Die Welt noted, “The artistic life in São Paulo is flourishing as in the golden ’50s, when Oscar Niemeyer’s futuristic buildings were inaugurated in Ibirapuera Park and the Bienal de São Paulo, the second-largest Biennial in the world to date, claimed cultural validity. This week, some feel themselves reminded of Miami when the Art Basel moved there 10 years ago.” (April 2015)
Applicants can choose from one of the following multidisciplinary sections available at SP-Arte:
Main sector: Exhibitors in this sector include prominent Brazilian and International galleries presenting modern and contemporary works in a wide range of mediums, including painting, sculpture, drawing, photograph, mixed media, and more.
Showcase sector: A platform for emerging galleries in which curators, collectors, and the fair public can discover cutting-edge works. Exhibitors in the Showcase sector will have a strong curatorial approach in their gallery program. Participating galleries will be asked to bring a select representation of their works, showing a maximum of three artists in their booths.
Solo sector: Curated by Luiza Teixeira de Freitas, the 2016 Solo sector will see the chosen galleries work closely with the curator on the selection and presentation of a single artist. Luiza Teixeira de Freitas is an independent curator based between London and Lisbon. She has worked for private collections and on various independent projects, is a trustee of the Chisenhale Gallery in London, and serves as a strategic advisor for Delfina Foundation, London.
Open Plan will return in 2016 for its second edition as a curated section dedicated to installations. All galleries accepted into one of the three gallery sectors (Main, Showcase, Solo) may apply to Open Plan in January 2016.
All galleries should have a permanent exhibition space with at least three years of experience. Galleries are encouraged to submit a detailed exhibition project for the Fair that includes a description of the installation and artwork images.
The deadline to submit all applications and necessary documents is October 15.
For additional questions, please contact application@sp-arte.com. All applications will be reviewed by the Fair organizers and Selection Committee and a final list of exhibitors will be announced by December 2015 on SP-Arte’s website.
About SP-Arte
SP-Arte was founded in 2005 as the premiere art fair of its kind in Brazil. It has distinguished itself as the leading art fair in Latin America, renowned for its rigorous selection process and criterion to present the world’s most important galleries. São Paulo is a cultural hub, home to Brazil’s most prestigious museums, foundations and galleries. During the Fair, SP-Arte establishes partnerships with these institutions to create a strong agenda of events that engages locals and visitors to various cultural encounters in São Paulo.
SP-Arte is committed to education and the arts, as an art fair it offers a commercial platform for the development of the fine arts In Brazil. In 2015, together with Jacopo Crivelli Visconti and Cauê Alves, SP-Arte developed two new sections, Open Plan, a section dedicated to installations and a special sector developed for Performances, including performances by emerging artists alongside historical performances by established artists.
In addition to its educative and cultural role, SP-Arte has also collaborated with ABACT, the Brazilian Association for Contemporary Art, by providing a circuit for international professionals for an in-depth experience with Brazilian artists, galleries, institutions, and culture.
Through these initiatives SP-Arte inspires, educates, and facilitates cultural and business exchanges on the international stage.