“Tour the city through art”: the alternative boom of ARTBO
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Bogotá found a unique way to include art lovers and enthusiasts in a new initiative pertaining to the arts.
Thanks to a recent event called ARTBO fin de semana (ARTBO weekend) more than 40 museums, galleries, foundations and independent spaces opened their doors to be a part of a massive free art event. This fair is part of the Chamber of Commerce and the idea of it was born from the international art fair of Bogota called ARTBO. According to current ARTBO director Maria Paz Gaviria the first edition of this fair that had great success (more than 10,000 visitors) sought to expand and develop the whole art chain and its development process: formation, production, circulation and commercialization.
Gaviria says that ARTBO weekend is more than just a fair but also a part of the “plastic arts strengthening program from the Chamber of Commerce. It is conceived as way of touring the city trough art”. Three different city sectors were included in the fair’s circuit: Macarena/center, Chapinero/north and San Felipe. The last one is also known as Zona Bad (Bogota Art District) because of the many galleries and independent spaces open for art exhibitors. However, not many people know about it or if they do they haven’t been there yet.
The objective of making art accessible for all was fulfilled because not only was the entrance free, but they also had a free transport system that allowed the public to move between the participating spaces. Aside from the exhibitions ARTBO weekend also had a forum that treated many themes that surround the art scene like art collecting and market and an editorial meeting that gathered the work of some artists that have involved the book format in their “artistic language”. Everything was open for the public from Friday to Sunday when the fair ended. Thanks to this type of events that promote art culture, little or less known spaces get the opportunity to gain recognition and citizens who like art get the chance to visit them.
To learn more about the fair click here.
LatinAmerican Post | María Pía Wohlgemuth Neira
Copy edited by Susana Cicchetto
