With arteCo 2025, Corrientes consolidates its art fair as the cultural epicenter of the Litoral.

The seventh edition of arteCo , the Corrientes art fair, opened Thursday night in the provincial capital, with the presence of local authorities, led by Governor Gustavo Valdés, whose term ends this year but who will leave behind the birth, development, and professionalization of the fair as a legacy. In less than a decade of existence, it has established itself in the art fair calendar and is already one of the must-see dates for gallery owners, collectors, and cultural managers who know that in May, close to the national holiday, they make a pilgrimage to the coast.

ArteCo has changed locations in recent editions, reviving the city's historic spaces. In 2025, the former Gran Cine Colón —closed since 2007—was renovated and is now the Galería Colón, very close to the city's civic and cultural center. It will be open with free admission from May 22 to May 25.

The ribbon hadn't even been cut yet, and the first sales had already been made. Anyone familiar with the Buenos Aires art scene will be struck by the transparency regarding the prices of the works. There's no need to ask around; many gallery owners and artists list their value—mostly in pesos—on the side of the piece. During the tour conducted by Clarín Cultura, we found works selling from $80,000 to $1,300 . In some cases, these are works that would otherwise fetch three times the price.

The themes addressed by the artists remain deeply rooted in the local area . They feature deities of the Litoral (including Antonio Mamerto Gil Núñez, better known as Gauchito Gil ) reproduced in every possible format: the Paraná River that flows through the city, the fear of fires , capybaras (so popular with children these days), the fauna of the estuaries, dance, culture, and gastronomy. All of this is accompanied by a pop filter that successfully reaches a wider audience and, above all, the tastes of the market .

Among this group of artists, Anísima stands out, one of the darlings of young Corrientes art. With her local imagery, her intense, sometimes neon colors, her simple figurations reminiscent of characters from school textbooks, and the reproduction of her work on T-shirts and other items, she attracts all visitors. She is presenting a solo show at the Taller gallery imminently featuring works that refer to art history, whether it be Van Gogh's room, Tarsila do Amaral's Abaporu, or the patriotic sun on the Argentine flag.

Emme/Yuru Chupita works in the same vein, whose prints with romantic typography mentioning the payé and the Paraná River were available from $300,000.

For this columnist, who attended arteCo for the first time in 2023, the advance of artists from the periphery to the aesthetics of production centers is notable: this edition features site-specific work; and artists who work with fabric are moving towards large formats , whether as patchwork or with installations.

The most contemporary artists maintain a fresh, brazen attitude, displaying their skill in the materials and media they work with, but still remain strongly influenced by the Corrientes idiosyncrasy. As an exception, the work of artist El Vato , on display at arteCo , dares to engage in political criticism. Among his individual projects, he presents an acrylic work in homage to Antonio Berni's Manifestación , in which the humans are replaced by sheep carrying flags, making it clear that they are not cattle, but people, and asking , "Where is Loan ?", the child who disappeared a year ago in the Corrientes countryside without a trace. It sells for $80,000.

And if you're coming in with a tight wallet, Faby Quirico set up a small stencil workshop and sells tote bags starting at $6,000 and even trios of stickers for $1,000.

Then there are the established contemporary artists, led by Richard de Itatí , who opened the door to contemporary art in Corrientes. In the 2024 edition, he activated the Virgin of the Canoe in a nautical performance, which is now once again on display at his individual stand. Without the canoe, he now has a basket at his feet, where visitors can leave their wishes for the country. The Virgin will perform a second activation, when she will carry the petitions to the National Congress in her canoe on May 30th during the "Corrientes Shines" event at the Senate.

Meanwhile, from neighboring Chaco , the Lur gallery presented beautiful small ceramics by Erick Pertile that, starting with conical shapes, transform into reproductions of maned wolves, tapirs, and toucans. They were sold for $240,000. Espacio Chacra , meanwhile, featured works by two established Buenos Aires artists: Beatriz Moreriro and Zulema Maza. Andrés Paredes , from Misiones, hung one of his monumental openwork works, a butterfly with the Virgin of Itatí in the center , in the green space of the property where arteCo is located.

Since its inception, ArteCo has traditionally included galleries from Paraguay, which have become a staple, and this time, it added spaces from Brazil and Uruguay. Among Paraguayans, visitors were drawn to the paintings featuring woven karaguata threads, a plant that grows wild in the Paraguayan Chaco and which indigenous peoples have learned to treat and weave. These paintings start at US$1,300.

Unlike other fairs that are supported by foundations or private organizations, arteCO is carried out and supported by the Institute of Culture of Corrientes , in charge of Beatriz Kunin . Governor Valdés, who is in the final months of his term without the possibility of reelection and has not yet decided who will be the ruling party's successor, inaugurated the fair for the last time and toured the entire grounds.

"We must become more cultured every day. Owning, investing, and working in culture truly makes us better human beings. The freedom of expression that exists in every work of art truly fills your soul," he reflected as he offered a few words. He also highlighted the public-private cooperation that facilitated the restoration of the former Colón cinema and left an electoral message: "We must continue on this path of growth, which is the path we, the people of Corrientes, are choosing, which is the path to building the future together."