Why (and How) to Collect Brazilian Art
“The contemporary art market in Brazil is currently experiencing a unique and very positive moment, one of maturity and expansion,” reports a sectoral study from Latitude Brasil. Now with the sixth largest global economy, Brazil has undergone an economic boom and seen linear and consistent growth to their art market—and attracted a new wave of collectors. Allured by the Latin American art market, Artsy asked Brazilian art advisor Maria do Mar Guinle for her insights on collecting Brazilian art, advice for new collectors (which includes perusing the art fairs like ArtRio) and which Brazilian artists we should absolutely be watching. Her suggestions follow.
How? Take time to discover the scene—art fairs are a perfect outlet.
“The Brazilian contemporary production today reflects the diversity of the country itself and one finds a wide range of styles, media, and themes, which may often be overwhelming to a newcomer. The advice I would give anyone looking to buy Brazilian art is to take the time to discover the scene.
Essential to this discovery is to attend the São Paulo Biennial and in 2014 the off-Biennial exhibition Paralela, a great place to discover local emerging talent; attend the two art fairs SP Arte and ArtRio, and keep an eye out for major museum shows highlighting Brazilian artists. In the next few months there will be Cildo Meireles at the Reina-Sofia [in Madrid], Mira Schendel at the Tate Modern [in London], and Lygia Clark at the MoMA [in New York].”
Why? The Brazilian art market is booming, and it’s only the beginning:
“The boom in the Brazilian art market was initially fuelled by recent economic success and the rise of a new, wealthy class, with lots of disposable income. Collecting art, attending exhibitions and biennials has become a must for Brazilian emerging society! As in every new market, there is a lot of euphoria so one needs to be cautious and selective, but as a true Brazilian I am very optimistic as the quality is here and the internationalisation of the market is only beginning.”
Art Fairs? Why they matter to the Brazilian art market.
“Together with the increased presence of Brazilian galleries in major fairs like Art Basel and Frieze, the two art fairs in Brazil (longstanding SP Arte and its more recent Rio counterpart ArtRio) are two of the leading forces towards the internationalisation of the Brazilian art market. They have simultaneously stimulated the interest of Brazilian collectors for international artists and highlighted the dynamism of the market for international collectors and galleries.”
Who? The Brazilian artists’ names you should be writing down.
“All the ones showed at my gallery in Paris, of course: Carlos Vergara, Daniel Senise, Brígida Baltar, Nelson Felix, Ana Holck, Pedro Varela, Maria Laet and Daniel Zarvos.
Besides them and the already discovered blue-chip artists like Lygia Clark, Helio Oiticica, Beatriz Milhazes, and Adriana Varejão, I would add: historical artists from late 1950s/Neo-Concretism, including Lygia Pape, Amilcar de Castro, Luis Sacilotto, and Mira Schendel; artists who surged in the mid-1960s-70s, such as Artur Barrio, Antonio Manuel, and Ana Maria Maiolino; and ‘emerging’ artists Luis Zerbini, Marcius Galan, Andre Komatsu, and Roberto Winter.”
Maria do Mar Guinle is a Brazilian art advisor based in Paris. She has a gallery located in le Marais (MdM gallery, 11bis rue Elzevir) where she shows the Brazilian artists: Carlos Vergara, Daniel Senise, Brígida Baltar, Nelson Felix, Ana Holck, Pedro Varela, Maria Laet and Daniel Zarvos.
Portrait by Tinko Czetwertynski
