16/11/2001
by Celso Fioravante

Brazilian contemporary art has just come to the end of a cycle in its history with the closing on the 16^th of August of the Camargo Vilaça gallery in Sao Paulo. The gallery, founded on the 7^th of May 1992 by Karla Meneghel Ferraz de Camargo and Marcantonio Vilaça (who passed away on the 1^st of January 2000), helped strengthen the role of Brazilian contemporary art on the international scene by promoting professionalism and competitiveness.

Now the fruits of the gallery’s work will be reaped by the new Fortes Vilaça gallery which was opened on the 16^th of August in the same exhibition space by Márcia Fortes and Alessandra Vilaça. An exhibition featuring the work of Efrain Almeida was staged especially for the occasion, presenting eight drawings and five small wood sculptures touching on autobiographical and religious themes.

When the gallery opened its doors, there was a good deal of curiosity regarding the range of artists that would be represented. The list of artists inherited from the previous management, which include the likes of Ernesto Neto, Valeska Soares, Iran do Espírito Santo, Vik Muniz, Adriana Varejão, José Damasceno and Leda Catunda, was lengthened by the arrival of Janaina Tschäpe, Tiago Carneiro da Cunha, Maurício Dias and Walter Reidweg. However, seven artists did leave the gallery: Miguel do Rio Branco, Jac Leirner, José Resende, Paulo Pasta, Laura Vinci, Mônica Rubinho and Maurício Ruiz. The reasons for their departure were clearly encapsulated by Jac Leirner: "I stood by the gallery in the transition period out of respect for the years in which I worked with Marcantonio. Now I am leaving because I do not feel comfortable working with those whom have taken his place: my relationship with him was personal". Leirner is in fact in the process of joining the André Viana gallery that should open in March 2002 in Sao Paulo.

In line with the new business plan, which involves a downsizing of operations with cuts to personnel and lower budgets, the Fortes Vilaça gallery will reduce the number of exhibitions it holds in Brazil as well as its participation in international fairs. "We want to concentrate more on the work of each artist to promote it more carefully – said Alessandra Vilaça. "In order to do this we need more time, and so have decided to reduce the yearly exhibitions from ten to eight. We will not be participating in more than four or five fairs, especially given that the major galleries take part in only two or three fairs each year".

The change in management at the gallery has been well received by both collectors and gallerists in Sao Paulo. In the opinion of the collector José Olympio Pereira, for example, the biggest trauma for the market was the death of Marcantonio Vilaça, while the consequences are inevitable. The collector Isabella Prata adds: "Any change in the art world must be seen in an optimistic light, as it points to a market that is reacting. If, however, the gallery had been definitively closed, it would have created an uncertain climate that would have taken a heavy toll on the market". Gilberto Chateaubriand, one of the world’s most famous collectors, believes that the change will not create uncertainty in Brazil as people with experience of the art market will work in the new gallery. "The line of work remains the same as that traced by Marcantonio Vilaça, with strong investments on the foreign market aimed at giving visibility to Brazilian artists," says Chateaubriand. "The work of the new management on the Brazilian market can only be gauged over time."

Even the competition appears to be unperturbed. "I am sure the change will be for the good" – says the gallerist André Millan. "The market will benefit from the reshuffle of artists and redistribution of economical resources. Miguel Rio Branco joining my gallery for example, will give us much more visibility, both in Brazil and abroad". Fábio Cimino, partner of the Brito Cimino gallery, is enthusiastic about the changes: "I believe these are natural and positive developments. The death of Marcantonio, who was able to create a very personal relationship with each artist and took sole responsibility for decision-making, has of course led to some changes. Maintaining continuity would not have been possible".