ESTE ARTE 2026
12th EDITION
January 4-7, 2026
Pavilion Vik

VIP PREVIEW
Sunday, January 4

5 - 10 pm

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Monday, January 5
Tuesday, January 6
Wednesday, January 7

5 - 10 pm

PAVILION VIK
Ruta 10, Km 182,500
José Ignacio, Uruguay


AGENDA | GUESTS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 4

    • Duration: 5 hours

    • Event Type: By invitation only.

    • Details: You are cordially invited to this exclusive, invitation-only VIP event. If you would like to bring additional guests, please let us know, and we will add them to the VIP list. The dress code is effortlessly joyful.

    • Transportation: The venue is within walking distance from the hotel, but car service is available upon request.

    • Location: Pavilion VIK, José Ignacio.

    • Duration: 3 hours

    • Event type: Private dinner

    • Details: After the ESTE ARTE 2025 Preview, enjoy a private dinner.

    • Guests: approx. 90 people

    • Host: Edda and Robert Kofler, collectors and philanthropists.

    • Transportation: The Posada Ayana is within walking distance from the Pavilion VIK, but if you need a car service, please let us know.

    • Location: Posada Ayana, José Ignacio

 

MONDAY, JANUARY 5

    • Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

    • Event Type: Public program

    • Details: Cultural Policy, Curatorial Frameworks, and Strategies for International Projection. In Spanish, without translation.

    • Speakers:
      Patricia Bentancur, Curator, Uruguay Pavilion
      Dermis Leon, Co-Curator, Chile Pavilion
      Nahuel Ortiz, Patron, Argentina Pavilion

    • Moderated by Laura Bardier, Director of ESTE ARTE

    • Presented by César Escandarani, CEO, Planet Partners.

    • Transportation: A car service will be provided.

    • Location: Hotel Fasano Las Piedras, Maldonado

    • Duration: 1.5 hours

    • Event type: Private lunch

    • Details: After the ESTE CHARLA, enjoy a private lunch. By invitation only.

    • Guests: approx. 50 people

    • Host: hosted by MACA – Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Atchugarry

    • Transportation: n/a

    • Location: MACA (Ruta 104 Km. 4,500, Manantiales)

  • 17:30 h | ESTE FOCUS
    Ana Rapela, artista
    OTTO Galería (Buenos Aires)

    18:10 h | ESTE FOCUS
    Diego Bianchi, artista
    Galerie Jocelyn Wolff (Paris)

    18:50 h | ESTE FOCUS
    Vanderlei Lopes, artista
    Almeida & Dale (São Paulo)

    19:30 h | ESTE FOCUS
    Trinidad Metz Brea, artista
    Valerie’s Factory (Buenos Aires)

    20:10 h | ESTE FOCUS
    Vicente Grondona, artista
    Manuel Neves, curador
    Xippas (Paris / Genève / Manantiales)

    20:50 h | ESTE FOCUS
    Manuel Espinosa, artista
    Piero Atchugarry Gallery (Miami / Garzón)
    Duration: 5 hours

    • Event Type: Public program accessible via invitation or ticket.

    • Details: This program features a vernissage celebration open to the public and a series of presentations by galleries and artists. Exhibitors will introduce their gallery programs and their artist’s work.

    • Transportation: The venue is within walking distance from the hotel, but car service is available upon request.

    • Location: Pavilion VIK, José Ignacio

 

TUESDAY, JANUARY 6

    • Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

    • Event Type: Public Program

    • Details: Magalí Arriola will lead a public program in English without translation, discussing her curatorial practice and projects. 

    • Speaker: Magalí Arriola, Independent Curator

    • Introduction: Laura Bardier, Director, Este Arte

    • Transportation: A car service will be provided.

    • Location: Fundación Cervieri Monsúares (José Ignacio)

  • 17:30 h | ESTE FOCUS
    Pedro Tyler, artista
    Galería del Paseo (Punta del Este)

    18:10 h | ESTE FOCUS
    Leo Battistelli, artista
    Del Infinito (Buenos Aires)

    18:50 h | ESTE FOCUS
    Francisca Maya, artista
    Black Gallery (Pueblo Garzón)

    19:30 h | ESTE FOCUS
    Germán Tagle, artista
    Aninat Galería (Santiago de Chile)

    20:10 h | ESTE FOCUS
    Sebastián Sáez
    GALERIA SUR (Punta del Este)

    • Duration: 5 hours

    • Event Type: Public program accessible via invitation or ticket.

    • Details: This program features a celebration open to the public and a series of presentations by galleries and artists. Exhibitors will introduce their gallery programs and their artist’s work.

    • Transportation: The venue is within walking distance from the hotel, but car service is available upon request.

    • Location: Pavilion VIK, José Ignacio

 

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7

    • Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

    • Event Type: Public Program and brunch

    • Details: Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung will lead a public program in English, without translation, discussing her curatorial practice and projects. 
      Brunch will be served afterward.

    • Speaker: Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Director, Haus der Kulturen der Welt

    • Introduction: Laura Bardier, Director, Este Arte

    • Transportation: The venue is within walking distance from the hotel, but car service is available upon request.

    • Location: Fundación Ama Amoedo, Casa Neptuna, Del Timonel 4, 20402 José Ignacio

    • Duration: 2 hours

    • Event Type: Professional program

    • Details: A time reserved for reviewing portfolios of Uruguayan artists who applied through a national open call organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture of Uruguay. You can decide how many artists you would like to meet, and the meetings can last as little as 15 minutes or longer, depending on your preferences.

    • Transportation: The venue is within walking distance from the hotel, but car service is available upon request.

    • Location: Pavilion VIK, José Ignacio.

  • 17:30 h | ESTE FOCUS
    Heloisa Crocco
    Galería Eduardo Fernandes (São Paulo)

    18:10 h | ESTE FOCUS
    Lola Goldstein
    Galería María Casado (Buenos Aires)

    18:50 h | ESTE FOCUS
    Ulises Beisso
    W - naturae (Pueblo Garzón)

    19:30 h | PREMIO ESTE DON BÁEZ
    Premio Adquisición ESTE Don Baez

    20:10 h | PREMIO ESTE LAETITIA
    ESTE ARTE otorga el tercer Premio Laetitia al coleccionismo y mecenazgo. En esta ocasión, homenajeamos a Edda Kofler. La estatuilla ha sido creada por la artista Julia Castagno.

    • Duration: 5 hours

    • Event Type: Public program accessible via invitation or ticket.

    • Details: This program features a celebration open to the public and a series of presentations by galleries and artists. Exhibitors will introduce their gallery programs and their artist’s work.

    • Transportation: The venue is within walking distance from the hotel, but car service is available upon request.

    • Location: Pavilion VIK, José Ignacio

 

ART FAIR |
CURATORIAL VISION

Is it essential to experience these artworks in person,
or can it simply be viewed online?

SOLO SHOWS Each exhibitor presents one artist. It is possible to present a single artwork, an installation, or several pieces as long as they all come from one single artist.

FIRST VIEWS All the works will be exhibited for the first time. In the case of artists actively producing, it is required that the works have not been previously exhibited in any galleries, museums, or other venues.

LANDMARK In the case of deceased or inactive artists, it is expected that their work has historical relevance, demonstrating an impact on the development of a region, a culture, or the art world in general.

PHYSICAL FORMAT It is important that the projects answer that question. The works presented in the physical format must be related to the current physical context, considering their materiality, tangibility, physicality, perspective, and installation.

DIGITAL FORMAT Each gallery must have all their available works accessible in digital format. Galleries will have a scheduled gallery presentation time in the program and a specific space equipped with digital display technology to facilitate detailed business meetings.

DEEP DIVE If the exhibiting artist is physically present, a guided tour of their stand will be organized during opening hours. If the artist cannot be present, a virtual guided tour of their studio will be planned.

ICONIC Galleries will be selected based on proposals that are iconic, thought-provoking, and demonstrate artistic quality and conceptual coherence. The influence and caliber of the artist or the work must be considered in terms of understanding the past, present, and future of artistic creation.

ROOTED Each project must reflect the artist's unique vision and their contribution to the world of contemporary art. Special value will be placed on works created considering the context of the platform in Uruguay.


ART FAIR |SELECTION COMMITTEE

The exhibitor’s proposals have been evaluated by a selection committee composed of six distinguished philanthropists and collectors of national and international renown.

Amalia Amoedo is a philanthropist, art collector, and patron. For over two decades, she has actively supported artists, cultural agents, and numerous institutions independently, consolidating with the creation of the Fundación Ama Amoedo numerous years of accompaniment of the contemporary art scene. She is currently a member of the Acquisitions Committee of the International Latin American Circle of the Pompidou Center (Paris), the Committee of the Latin American and Caribbean Art Fund of MoMA (New York), the International Committee and former president of the Fundación Arteba (Buenos Aires), the Association of Friends of Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires, and the International Advisory Council of the Americas Society (New York). 

Aline Herrnstadt is an architect, art historian, and curator. With a degree in architecture from the Technion Israel Institute of Technology (1991) and a Specialist Diploma in Art History and Heritage from Universidad Claeh (2021), she has a strong foundation in both design and cultural studies. Aline has been actively involved in continuous education at the Fundación de Arte Contemporáneo (FAC) since 2016, demonstrating her commitment to the contemporary art scene. She curated the exhibition “Precaria” for the 35th Season at the Espacio de Arte Contemporáneo (EAC) during the 2019-2020 season. In addition to her curatorial work, Aline is a passionate collector of contemporary and modern art.

Elianne Litwin is the co-founder and manager of Magma, a dynamic space dedicated to fashion, design, and lifestyle. With a deep commitment to pushing creative boundaries, Elianne also co-founded Magma Futura. This platform navigates the intersections of design, art, and technology, experimenting with the possibilities of future innovations. Through these ventures, Elianne has consistently explored new horizons, merging aesthetics with forward-thinking concepts to shape the future of design and creative expression.

Mohamed Julien Ndao started to develop his passion for art 15 years ago through his friendship with the gallerist Sandra Thireau-Recio in Switzerland. Born in Paris, growing up in Senegal, and moving to Europe in his young college years, Mohamed has gained extensive exposure to different cultures and ways of expressing art. He is the founder of Okapi Energy Group, a commodity merchant company based in Geneva, whose activities expand in Africa, but he also acquired a Norwegian company, Manta Marine Technologies, covering the European market for decarbonization of the shipping industry. Mohamed was appointed as Honorary Consul of France for the city of Rosario in Argentina, where he lives with his family. He is involved in various philanthropic and arts initiatives with his company, Okapi.

Alberto Rebaza is an art patron and collector who has played a significant role in the development of contemporary art in Peru and Latin America since the 1990s. He has actively supported artists, cultural agents, and institutions across the region. Alberto is the Vice President of the Lima Art Museum (MALI), a member of the Latin American Board of the Guggenheim Museum, and a member of the International Acquisitions Council of the Reina Sofía Foundation. In 2015, he founded Residencia del al Lado, an artist residency adjacent to his home, further solidifying his commitment to nurturing the arts.


ABOUT
ESTE ARTE

ESTE ARTE will celebrate its eleventh edition from January 4 to 7, 2025, at the Pavilion Vik, José Ignacio. Over the past decade, we have created and nurtured a strong, healthy, and sustainable art system. ESTE ARTE Cultural Summit & Art Fair will feature a carefully curated selection of galleries, each showcasing their most noteworthy artists, selected exclusively for our audience in this unique enclave. While we're excited to present international artists, we're equally dedicated to promoting the local art scene, thereby positioning Uruguay as a true powerhouse in the global art landscape. At ESTE ARTE, we believe that art is not just a display of talent but a source of beauty, emotion, and inspiration. We understand the importance of creating a space where art lovers can come together to appreciate the value and impact of each piece. Our goal is to provide a venue where artists and galleries can showcase their finest work while also fostering a community of individuals who share a deep appreciation for the arts.

ABOUT LAURA BARDIER
Founding Director of ESTE ARTE, as well as Executive Director of the James Howell Foundation in New York. Previously, Bardier held key positions at the Cultural Department of the Municipality of Napoli (Italy) and significant private collections in the United States. She has curated exhibitions in Uruguay, Italy, and the USA; her writing on contemporary art has been published in Domus Magazine, Arte al Día, Review, and Infonegocios. Bardier was a member of the National Committee of Visual Arts of Uruguay and is a Board member of ArtTable, ICI - Independent Curators International, and Creative Time.

CULTURAL PROGRAM IN COOPERATION
Once again, ESTE ARTE offers a rich Cultural Program in collaboration with various national and international institutions, which reflects and promotes the importance of working together.
Fundación Ama Amoedo (FAA). An art residency founded by Argentine art collector and patron Amalia Amoedo in José Ignacio, at Casa Neptuna.
Centro de Exposiciones Subte. Space that stands out as a center for training, research, production, and dissemination of contemporary art. In collaboration with María Eugenia Vidal, director of the Subte.
MACA (Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Atchugarry). A 90-acre Museum of Contemporary Art in Manantiales, in Manatiales, Uruguay.
CAMPO. Art residency founded by American-born photographer Heidi Lender in Garzón, Uruguay.