Latin American Art

firstsite and the University of Essex Collection of Latin American Art (UECLAA) have come together in a unique partnership to bring the public into contact with art by artists from countries in Latin America.  Opportunities to see Latin American art are rare in the UK and the firstsite-UECLAA partnership will significantly enrich the range of art on public display in Britain and Europe.  The partnership acts as a model for increasing access to the cultural resources that remain hidden within many academic institutions.

UECLAA is the largest public collection of Latin American art in Europe.  It contains more than 700 works by 200 artists from 14 different countries.

Works from UECLAA will be imaginatively integrated into firstsite's programme to bring the collection to life for visitors.  The opportunities to display publicly the collection are currently limited.  The collaboration with firstsite will allow works from UECLAA to reach a wider and more diverse audience.  Each year one exhibition will focus on Latin American artists, and works from the collection will be integrated into other exhibitions or used to contextualise other works on display.  Latin American artists will also have opportunities to inhabit th Artist Space and create installations for the building's entrance.

Works from UECLAA will have a permanent presence in firstsite:newsite's Resource Centre, through a rolling programme of 'spotlight' exhibitions.  The Resource Centre will provide access to the collection and related research online, as well as space for seminars and workshops.  The Centre will create a living resource for artists, researchers and members of the public.

The collaboration with UECLAA represents only one part of firstsite's wider partnership with the University of Essex.  The new building will act as a resource for a wide range of academic subjects.  It will provide a showcase for teaching and research, a conference venue and will contribute to the development of cultural research.