PINTA 09, the third edition of the Latin American art fair in New York, opens on November 19th. We met with Mauro Herlitzka, one of its directors, to get the scoop on this year's edition.

AWL: Why PINTA?
MH: PINTA brings exposure to Latin American art. We do it in New York because there is a growing interest in Latin American Art in the U.S. in general, and New York is the hub where everyone converges: Many American museums come to New York for PINTA as well as major American collectors from Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles.

AWL: What kind of traffic do you expect at the art fair this year?
MH: There is typically a wide range of visitors to PINTA: Museums and collectors interested in Latin American art all come to PINTA. Many people also come to see art they don’t see that often in New York. The fair has a specific dynamic: This is a very short time - 3 days only, it’s limited to 50 galleries, it is not a museum it is not a biennale. It is something where you can see a lot of art at once. You can see a lot of the pieces that collections are looking for. You also can see the work of emerging artists who are just starting.

AWL: What are the trends you see among up and coming emerging artists?
MH: Many contemporary artists are still concerned with abstraction, conceptual and kinetic art. This is normal since historically, Latin American artists brought a major contribution to abstract and conceptual art. But it is increasingly difficult to put Latin American artists in a box.

AWL: Which country do you feel brings a fresh artistic perspective?
MH: Every country has something new to bring to the table. I will watch particularly for Peru and Colombia, among others.

AWL: How is Latin American art received in the U.S.?
MH: In general, the United States is very open to Latin American art: There are major shows at LACMA, Harvard, and the MoMA. In the last 10 years, mainly as the result of the MoMA’s 1993 Latin American exhibition, people in the United States have been looking at Latin American art differently.

AWL: How do you define Latin American art in a global world where many artists have multiple cultural identities?
MH: How do you define German art? It is a concept of ideas, of forms, of culture, that produces artists who sometimes do not even live in Latin America but who are deeply Latin American because of their cultural references. Someone like Felix Gonzalez-Torres is very much a Latin American artist, because he was interested primarily in the conceptual dimension of art.

AWL: The art market has been hit by the current economic climate, how does this impact what galleries are showing this year?
MH: Of course nobody escapes the current economic conditions, but in Latin America overall banks are not as exposed to the mortgage crisis. So most of the art market is ok. Argentina has cooled down. But there was never a big speculation like there was in America or Europe to begin with. Latin American countries also have strong national markets that help them. This said, they are eager to be part of the global art economy. Brazil for example exports its artists very well. Also Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Puerto Rico, now have a dynamic art fair scene, the circle is much more dynamic than it was in the past.

AWL: Tell us about the PINTA research fund program with New York University
MH: PINTA is a platform for developing projects and for networking but also for developing knowledge around Latin American artists. We help raise a research fund in order for New York University to nurture students who want to pursue their research on Latin American art. People can contribute to this fund if they are interested in supporting the research in Latin American art studies at New York University.

AWL: New York will be packed with exhibitions on Latin American artists in November. Do you have any recommendations?
MH: You should check the Museo del Barrio who has a major show on Latin American artists who influenced the New York avant-garde. Also Henrique Faria has a major show on Latin American abstract art from the 50’s, 60’s and 70s’ in joint-venture with Mireille Mosler. Alberto Magnan Gallery, Alexander and Bonin gallery and Jose Bienvenu Gallery also have interesting shows.

AWL: Where should someone interested in collecting Latin American art start?
MH: Definitely come to PINTA, and go to the lectures at the Museo del Barrio, the Americas Society as well, and the monthly talks at the Institute of Fine Arts on 78th and 5th avenue. This is a great way to get educated about Latin American art and develop a discerning perspective.