Ch.ACO fair aims to be a focal point for South American art – The Art Newspaper

Ch.Aco, Chile’s pre-eminent international contemporary art fair, will return for its 15th edition this month. To be held in Santiago’s sprawling Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral from 27 to 30 March with a VIP preview on 26 March, the fair will welcome 35 exhibitors from Argentina, Peru, Colombia and across Chile.

Organisers say the fair will showcase work by more than 200 artists, spanning painting, photography, drawing, installations, sculpture and video art. Prices will largely range from $1,000 to $20,000, while prime pieces by established artists can reach $25,000. Since its founding in 2009, Ch.Aco has played a pivotal role in shaping Chile’s art market and elevating its international profile. According to fair officials, 70% of exhibited works in its 2024 edition were sold.

“We have seen art flourishing beyond the capital, with emerging galleries across different regions,” says Elodie Fulton, the fair’s director. “Chile is a vast country, and regional connections are not always fluid, so fostering these dialogues is crucial for expanding the art ecosystem.”

Uneven progress

However, the fair’s trajectory has not been without challenges. Ch.Aco faced criticism over venue selection for its tenth edition in 2018, when it was held in a half-finished real estate development, and the fair was cancelled in 2019 amid nationwide protests and then again during the pandemic-related lockdowns of 2020.

This year’s edition will place a strong emphasis on Chilean galleries, organisers say, featuring exhibitors from Santiago as well as Valparaíso, Temuco, Puerto Varas, Talca, Concepción, Arica and Puerto Cisnes. La Sala, a gallery based in Santiago, will feature hyperrealistic paintings by Felipe Riesco, bronze sculptures by Carlos Fernández, and light boxes by Gonzalo Sánchez, with prices from $300 to $5,000. Alejandra Chellew, the gallery’s director, highlights Ch.Aco’s role in developing new audiences, citing an increase in young professionals acquiring art. She notes that younger collectors gravitate toward drawing, mixed media and photographic interventions, while more seasoned buyers prefer figurative and abstract sculptures.

Ecosystem role

“One of Ch.Aco’s greatest strengths is its ability to connect galleries with new collectors,” says Fulton. “The fair functions as an ecosystem that fosters networks and broadens art’s accessibility.”

This edition’s programme will reinforce the fair’s commitment to diverse perspectives, organisers say. The main section, Galleries, will bring together exhibitors from Chile, Argentina, Peru and Colombia. The Art Projects section, curated by Mariano Sánchez, will spotlight experimental and self-managed spaces under the theme “If you don’t take risks, you don’t cross the river”. Meanwhile, the Artists section, curated by Sergio Soto Maulén, will explore trans-Andean dialogues, featuring five Chilean and four Argentinian artists addressing themes of body, politics and territory. Design remains an area of growing interest, and the dedicated section La Tienda Improbable, curated by Juan Pablo Fuentes of Galería Aqueveque, will return for its second consecutive year.

Ch.Aco will also expand its focus on emerging artists and young collectors with the launch of an annual membership programme designed to engage new audiences through a mix of art, gastronomy, music and events.

“The collector profile is changing,” Fulton says. “We are keen on attracting new generations.”