An art critic from Argentina praised the "cultural landscape" of the Uruguay.

The influx of an increasingly cosmopolitan audience to the beaches of eastern Uruguay, combined with the country's solid artistic tradition, has fostered the development of a very uncommon cultural landscape in the region. Here, the buying and selling of contemporary art, the promotion of artists, the establishment of new connections in the art market, and a first-class tourist environment coincide.

"With a great and rich tradition of very original, sharp, and satirical artists, Uruguay entered the 21st century expressing a new position regarding the art of the region," said the renowned art critic Mercedes Pérez Bergliaffa, who arrived in Punta del Este with the support of Brand Country – Uruguay XXI, to participate in the Este Arte fair and other art exhibitions and activities during the summer season.
This vibrant artistic and tourist ecosystem explained the contemporary art, art market, and collecting specialists, attracted a new regional tourism composed of art collectors from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and other regions of the world.

Consequently, new cultural and artistic initiatives began to develop in eastern Uruguay, along with new spaces such as museums, fairs, and galleries of contemporary art. Additionally, there was the strengthening of a new hub for art markets concentrated in the Punta del Este and José Ignacio areas in the department of Maldonado.

"To these movements, you have to add the combination of beautiful landscapes and rich nature of gentle green hills with lagoons, vineyard-covered fields, the nearby sea, a human-scale city, plus the friendly nature of Uruguayans and a more slow-motion life. The combination of these natural landscapes, art, and international cultural influences that are taking place is truly different," added Pérez Bergliaffa, who is also a professor and researcher at the National University of the Arts (UNA).

Art Market in Uruguay

The EsteArte fair located in José Ignacio is one of the major catalysts for the various art-related systems in Uruguay, highlighted Pérez Bergliaffa. Link to Este Arte article.

The art fair, which celebrated its tenth edition this year, has established itself as a platform for the exhibition and sale of works by international artists, mainly from Uruguay and Latin America. Thus, José Ignacio, standing as a privileged tourist destination known for its idyllic beaches and serene, natural lifestyle, transforms into an artistic epicenter driven by this art movement.
The opening in January 2022 of the MACA Museum by Pablo Atchugarry, which revitalized the Manantiales area, the establishment of artistic residencies—often led by American or European artists, as is the case with Campo in Garzón—and the inauguration of new art galleries or the expansion of existing ones, whose architectures are artworks in themselves, developed in deep dialogue with Uruguay's natural landscapes (such as the Xippas, Walden Naturae, or Black Gallery), significantly contributed to consolidating Punta del Este and José Ignacio as prominent points on the regional art scene.

In recent decades, the area witnessed the opening of wineries and new gastronomic offerings with menus based on regional products. "These are all new cultural experiences that, in turn, give rise to new markets and other forms of tourism. Within this panorama, contemporary art is undoubtedly a significant catalyst," said Pérez Bergliaffa.