Brazil’s longest-standing contemporary art dealer, Raquel Arnaud, is an icon in Latin America’s art world. Throughout her five-decade career, now being feted in her namesake gallery in São Paulo with the collective exhibition “Galeria Raquel Arnaud—50 Anos,” she has proven to have an eye for groundbreaking artists and an acumen for business matters. In 1997, the visionary professional founded the Instituto de Arte Contemporânea—which she still heads today—that began with the estate of one of the founders of the Constructivist movement or Concrete art in Brazil, Willys de Castro (1926-1988). The emblematic IAC, as it is known in the local art milieu, is the only private nonprofit organization in Brazil to safeguard historical documents by living and deceased visual artists, many of them in her gallery’s enviable portfolio. The critically lauded institute, that she deems her greatest legacy, sums up the obstinate pursuit of this inspiring, elegant woman determined to disseminate Brazilian art and to preserve the memory of its greatest artists.

“The relationship I have with my artists has always been based on friendship and mutual respect, and between themselves most of my artists were close friends. Since many of them are now hailed as historical names of Brazilian art, nowadays, I often see secondary-market galleries negotiating works that had their first sale in my gallery. Life is naturally full of ups and downs but I won’t deny, looking back, I feel very proud,” wraps up the grand dame of Brazilian art, still beautiful in her late eighties.

What follows is a historical picture of her career and testimonials from some of her artists:

Waltercio Caldas:

“Some people say time flies when we do the things we love. The weight of the years has no meaning when surprising results smile from all the effort. However, let’s not fool ourselves: dedication, attention and absolute certainty are transformed when goals are fulfilled and will is triumphant. Raquel Arnaud knows and has always been aware that nothing is achieved without a delicate balance between people and their intentions. And when the subject relates to artists and art, it turns out to be more enjoyable and stimulating. Thanks, Raquel, for always being ready to fight the world.”

Dodora Guimarães, Instituto Sérvulo Esmeraldo:

“Brazilian Constructive art owes much to Raquel Arnaud. In truth, not only our Constructive art but also its foreign versions. Although her performance in the visual arts has been wide and unrestricted it is in the field of geometric art where she has mainly focused her tireless energy. In spite of some changes in the names and addresses of her gallery through these fifty years, she has always stood by her line of work. We owe her for the support she gave Sérvulo Esmeraldo (1929-2017) upon his return to Brazil after twenty years living and working in Europe. In 1975, Raquel visited his studio at Neuilly-Plaisance, in the outskirts of Paris, and invited him to exhibit in her then Gabinete de Artes Gráficas, thus tracing a new chapter in the artist’s life. In her domain, the following year, he launched the object-book, “Trilogia.” In 1977, at Arte Global, where she managed along with the late gallerist Mônica Filgueiras, he exhibited a magnificent series of lithography. Sérvulo Esmeraldo was still living in Paris when destiny began calling him back home. Through Raquel’s initiative all of the artist’s archives from his prolific European period are now safeguarded under the IAC (Instituto de Arte Contemporânea, or, Institute of Contemporary Art), the pioneering institute she founded, responsible for the preservation of valuable estates from artists who have revolutionized contemporary Brazilian art. Raquel Arnaud is a rare gem.”

João Trevisan:

“It is an honor and a privilege to commemorate fifty years of the gallery. The moment not only marks the gallery’s long-running history but also highlights its commitment to new talents while preserving its rich heritage. When I became part of its team, the first thing I was given was a book on Raquel’s admirable trajectory. After reading it, I understood the dedication of this tireless professional who became a dear friend from day one. Raquel’s half-century history is a witness to her unflinching compromise. I’m happy to be part of the journey. I recognize the value of the gallery’s tireless work as well as the inspiring influence of notable artists such as Sergio Camargo, Iole de Freitas and Waltercio Caldas, whose presence resonates throughout the gallery, strengthening its identity and relevance in today’s contemporary artistic panorama.”

Elizabeth Jobim:

“I met Raquel in the eighties and was immediately enraptured by her gallery, then called Gabinete de Arte. In its art temple-like atmosphere you could admire the artistic output of the crème de la crème of Brazil’s avant-garde. In 1997, when I became part of her team, Raquel managed my career brilliantly, introducing my work to the world. Looking back, they are extraordinary, the list of exhibitions she organized and the group of artists she cultivated in those difficult times when contemporary art was not easily understood.”

Almandrade:

“I’ve known Galeria Raquel Arnaud since the 1970s, when I was a solitary artist embracing contemporary art through Conceptualism and Constructivism who studied architecture and lived in Salvador, Bahia, then a very provincial town. Twice a year, on my vacations, I traveled to Rio and São Paulo looking forward to meeting other artists, talking to critics, and visiting bookshops, museums and galleries. When I discovered Raquel Arnaud’s gallery during one of these trips, I was struck by the quality of the group of artists she represented and [I’m still struck by] the consistent approach to all the exhibitions she has organized under her roof these fifty years that renders exemplary service to Brazil’s cultural milieu. At the 1987 São Paulo biennial, I participated in the show “Em Busca da Essência” [in Search for Essence]. Raquel went to see my work and we got a chance to talk, but the timing wasn’t right, I was living in Salvador, going through a rough patch, and for contemporary art the local market was still very restricted. Time went by and coincidently, last year, she invited me to show in her gallery as an invited artist. As the five-decade commemoration approached, she invited me to become represented by the gallery. I arrive in time to celebrate the gallery’s fifty years of rich legacy rendered for Brazilian art.”

Galeria Raquel Arnaud—50 Anos / 50 Years
Through May 24
Curated by Jacopo Crivelli Visconti
Assistant curator Marina Schiesari
Galeria Raquel Arnaud, São Paulo