ARTBO Fair 2026 brings its 22nd edition to a close with 22,000 visitors

• The 22nd edition awarded 9 awards and 3 artistic residencies, among them the Lifetime Achievement Award, an alliance between ARTBO and Bauer, awarded to the artist Fanny Sanín.

• In the first year of the ARTBO Universities Community, more of 4,000 university visits,

  between students and teachers from different academic programs, participated in Conversations and in guided tours of the fair.

Bogotá, October 2026. ARTBO Feria, a cultural program of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce, closed its 22nd edition with an attendance that, for four days, occupied the five floors of Ágora Bogotá. The selection of participating galleries was based on their relationship with Latin American art, bringing together proposals from different contexts and geographies around the artistic production of the region.

The journey of ARTBO Fair was articulated through its different sections and programs. Galleries brought together 50 spaces from 20 cities around the world; Institutions, to museums and cultural organizations; Artecámara, under the curatorship of Melissa Aguilar, presented 20 emerging artists; Career paid tribute to the artist Fanny Sanín; and Encuentro Editorial brought together independent publications. The program also included Design Route, held at NC Diseño, and Conversations, curated by Benedicta Badia, with My house is not your house as the axis of its proposal. During the four days, guided tours, led by El Bosque University, offered tours of the fair for audiences of all ages. In its first year, the ARTBO University Community brought together more than 4,000 students and teachers during the fair, the Conversations programming and the guided tours. Students and teachers from programs in plastic and visual arts, communication, psychology, sound engineering, multimedia and literature, among others, participated, expanding the participation of the university community to different areas of knowledge.

The 22nd edition awards

During the inauguration, the artist Fanny Sanín received the second edition of the Career Award, an alliance between ARTBO and Bauer, which recognized more than five decades of work in geometric abstraction. As part of the recognition, Dazzle gradually was presented, an exhibition curated by José Roca and the support of the Alonso Gallery Garcés.

In Artecámara, the Whitman Prize was awarded to Juan Sebastián Sisa by Where the birds go when it rains (2024). The residences of the section were granted to Marianna Velasco Zambrano, in Plataforma Caníbal; Paloma Pardo, in Residencia Cocuyo; and Landys Roimola, at Casa Taller El Boga. The Acoplásticas Art Prize 2026 went to Ana María Chamucero, from the gallery El Coleccionista, for her project Storage strategies.

The Related Group Award, from the company founded by Jorge M. Pérez, was awarded to Gustavo Niño, represented by the Galería Fernández Mosseri. The Takami Prize, an initiative of the Takami Group, went to the gallery Institute of Vision; the Vast Chocolates Award, for Libertad Alcántara, from the Galería Gotxikoa; and the Colo Coffee Award, for Santiago Castro, from Vértigo Contemporary.

The edition also included acquisitions made by private entities: the Gun Club acquired a work by Juan Carlos Delgado, from the Galería Fernández Mosseri, and the Club El Nogal, a work by Guillermo Wiedemann, presented by the Galería El Museum.

The participating galleries also shared their assessment of this edition: «My assessment is very positive. I especially liked that the fair did not need large decorative displays for people to feel comfortable: the atmosphere was close and comfortable, and the setups looked very good. Bringing artists of this level was a great decision for us, it generated real interest among important collectors and opened conversations that we continue to cultivate after the fair," said Juan Fernando López, director of the Galería Visto Bueno (Plural) of Bogotá, Colombia.

For their part, José Pemjean and Juvenal Barría, directors of the Galería Judas de Valparaíso, Chile stated: «We deeply appreciate the support of the ARTBO team. Their support was key to managing financing in Chile at the beginning of the year, without which we would not have been able to participate in this edition. We leave happy and with a lot of affection for the entire team.

«This edition brought together different generations and ways of relating to art: from the career of Fanny Sanín to the emerging artists of Artecámara, along with galleries, institutions, collectors, professionals in the sector, students and teachers. This diversity is part of ARTBO's purpose of generating meeting spaces around art and promoting exchange between Bogotá and the art scene of Latin America and the world," said Jaime Martínez, director of ARTBO.

For his part, Ovidio Claros, president of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce, assured: «The historical balance of this edition demonstrates the city's ability to attract talent, creativity and investment. From the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce we will continue to promote these scenarios that strengthen the cultural ecosystem and open new opportunities for the industry. 2027.

ARTBO Fair: from September 23 to 26, 2027.

More information about ARTBO and its programming in artbo.co

About ARTBO International Art Fair

ARTBO Fair is a initiative of the cultural program ARTBO of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce that promotes circulation, encounters and commercial exchange around the plastic and visual arts. With Latin American art as its axis, it brings together national and international galleries, artists, curators, collectors, institutions, sector professionals and the public every year in Bogotá.

Through its different sections, the fair articulates exhibitions, conversations and meeting spaces that connect artistic creation with circulation and the art market. The next edition of ARTBO Feria will be held from September 23 to 26, 2027.