Uruguay struggles to cease being “too small” an art market

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Uruguay is facing the challenge of ceasing to be “too small a market” for art and must therefore invest in the development of strategies that “encourage people to buy works, to own them, to build collections.”

So said Enrique Aguerre, director of the National Museum of Visual Arts (MNAV) of Uruguay, during his appearance at the virtual lecture “Promotion and commercialization of art,” which closed the conference cycle of the Uruguayan Cultural and Creative Industries Market.

In this respect, Aguerre said that, along with the country’s small population of almost 3.5 million inhabitants, there is also no collector culture or people interested in consuming this type of product.

“We must make an effort, not only from the State, but we must let the private sector work, let them develop,” he emphasized and pointed out that it is necessary to encourage “collecting” in Uruguay.

The museum does not pursue a purely commercial approach, since its main goal is to promote Uruguayan cultural artists who, in many cases, are unknown in their own country.

However, it also tries to contribute to the promotion of national artists, both in the country and in its pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale.

Rodrigo Amilivia, director of Arcahub, a plastic arts website platform that seeks to leverage the digital market for the purchase and sale of artistic works, also took part in the lecture.

From his perspective, the pandemic helped the creation of a “digital revolution” for the art market and helps to set aside prejudices that buying art is only suitable for people with large bank accounts.

“Traditional players are going to find it harder to adapt to the digital world because it requires rethinking the way they visit art,” Amilivia stressed about art dealers who dominate the global market.

“It’s also very important to start attracting audiences that are not in the field, immersed in the sector, but simply have some affinity. You can perfectly well buy works by national artists, we have plenty of talent,” he emphasized.

His company sells paintings, sculptures and other types of artwork, and also seeks to help professionalize artists who are starting out, to tell them what the best strategy is to present works or what prices to set.

Meanwhile, Uruguayan photographer Ignacio Iturrioz stressed the importance of promoting culture as a tool for professional growth.

In his case, the fact that he won Uruguay’s National Photography Award in 2009 served as a showcase for his work in Germany, where he now lives and works, since he came with a different backing.

Like the other lecturers, Iturrioz agreed that it is necessary to invest in the growth of culture, so that more people may be involved in this market and to exploit the artistic talent existing in Uruguay.

Source: efe