SP-Arte
São Paulo's International Art Fair, or SP-Arte for short, is a Latin American art fair that has annually showcased works from internationally recognized institutions, galleries, and art professionals at the Oscar Niemeyer Biennial Pavilion since 2005. It features sections for old and contemporary art, site-specific installations, and experimental works alongside a program of talks and city-wide cultural events.
History
SP-Arte was founded in 2005 by lawyer and art collector Fernanda Feitosa. Feitosa has stated her inspiration stemmed "from the realization that Brazil, like other countries in the world that had consolidated art fairs, had a set of characteristics that are indicative of a good market: it is a large and central country in the South American region, with a very professional local art market, high-quality artistic production and a high potential for growth in the art consumer market. All this points to the creation of an attractive and successful event with a strong impact on the community, like the international art fairs Art Basel, Frieze or ARCO."Adriano Pedrosa, artistic director of MASP, was in charge of the Curatorial Laboratory from 2012 to 2014, an initiative that encouraged young curators to develop exhibition projects within the fair and which included the participation of Marta Mestre, Bernardo Mosqueira, Tomás Toledo and Fernando Oliva.
SP-Arte also organised artist residencies in partnership with other institutions: Delfina Foundation, in London, UK; Instituto Inclusartiz, in Rio de Janeiro; Kaaysá Art Residency, in São Sebastião; Residency Unlimited, in New York, USA; FLORA ars+natura in Tolima, Colombia.
SP-Arte Circuit is an itinerary that includes open studios, talks with artists, and exhibition openings in the month of the fairs. Art and design galleries, independent spaces and studios participating in the event create a program that is open to the public.