Home is where the art is: A visit to the collection of Joaquín Rodríguez and Abel Guaglianone

Buenos Aires-based collectors Abel Guaglianone and Joaquín Rodríguez can chart two decades of their lives through their passion for contemporary art. When they met, Guaglianone was already an avid collector, focusing on 18th- and 19th-century European art, as well as an expert in porcelain and ceramics. Today, they have over 300 pieces in what is arguably one of the city’s most prestigious collections. ‘All the pieces and artists are equally important to us and all of them are our favorites; otherwise, we would not have them,’ says Rodríguez.

The pair’s collection comprises works by most of Argentina’s best-known contemporary artists, such as Ad Minoliti, Eduardo Navarro, and Mariela Scafati (who will be presented in ‘Hopscotch (Rayuela)’ during Art Basel Cities Week, September 6-12, 2018), and younger talents like Matías Duville, Leonardo Damonte, Osias Yanov, and José Luis Landet, among others. Many of these artists were relative unknowns when Guaglianone and Rodríguez first started buying their works. ‘We are all growing and unraveling along the same path together: the artists, the older works of art from our collection, the contemporary art, and us,’ says Guaglianone. 

Funnily enough, it wasn’t contemporary art that piqued their interest in young and emerging artists like Claire de Santa Coloma, Pablo Insurralde, and Pablo Accinelli, but rather a work on paper by the Expressionist artist Vassily Kandinsky. Through the process of collecting Modern art, they began to better understand the creative process of artists, which, in turn, led to the cultivation of their contemporary art interests. Guaglianone stresses that their collection ‘is not just an accumulation of pieces; it is a lifestyle,’ with their artworks synonymous with their personal journey.

Marina De Caro was the first contemporary addition to their collection (an essential part of their personal history, her work hangs in their living room) and Gastón Goulu – a figurative artist from Córdoba that they discovered last August – is the latest. Both have added to their understanding of contemporary art, as have the many others whose works they have acquired, including leading Argentine figures Jorge Macchi and Marcelo Pombo; those based outside of their native Argentina, like Alejandra Seeber and José Luis and José Carlos Martinat; and artists from elsewhere in Latin America, such as Juan Tessi and Elba Bairon. ‘We always say that we are not the owners of the works of art,’ says Guaglianone. ‘We are their temporary holders and they choose us to keep them for a period of time. When these pieces came into existence, we did not exist; and when we no longer exist, the pieces will remain.’

Having acquired works in this fashion over the years, Rodríguez says: ‘I see our collection as a playlist, in the sense that you always identify certain songs with certain periods of your life. And the same happens with pieces of art – they transport us to a sensation, a mood, or a precise moment.’

Collecting holistically has been a labor of love. Initially, the pair preferred to remain anonymous, asking collector friends to purchase artworks on their behalf from galleries or artists’ studios. However, over the years, they realized how building relationships and being socially engaged were also important parts of the process. ‘The word that we most value is “commitment”,’ says Guaglianone. ‘Once you start acquiring pieces you are interested in, there comes a moment when that word leads you to become involved with public or private institutions.’

Thus, it was a natural process for them to become organizers and fundraisers for the Premio en Obra [Prize for Works In Process], part of arteBA, which hosts the biggest contemporary art fair in Buenos Aires. The prize, founded by Juan Cambiaso in 2008, is awarded to young artists and galleries with the intention of fostering growth. Being involved with the prize allowed the duo to further their visibility in the city’s contemporary art community.

Supporting and engaging with artists and galleries in the local art community has been an important undertaking for the collectors, and the two are looking forward to their city being part of the Art Basel Cities initiative. ‘Art Basel Cities Week is a moment of great expectation for all of us. This is the way to let others know about the Argentine scene,’ says Rodríguez. Guaglianone adds, ‘I believe that the contemporary art scene in Argentina is now “wearing long pants” and we have left behind its adolescence.’

Dedicated to fostering the growth of the city, the two collectors are also involved in the Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires – Rodríguez is in museum management and Guaglianone is part of the Association of Friends of the Museum. Each plays an active role in raising funds for the organization and would like to boost the visibility of the collection, especially within Argentina, since almost half the visitors to the museum come from abroad. ‘We are profoundly involved in the Buenos Aires art scene, and the level of commitment we have acquired while walking down this road keeps us that way,’ says Guaglianone. ‘We too, are always looking to add high quality works to our collection to show the talent of Argentine contemporary artists.’ 

For further information about the Art Basel Cities: Buenos Aires initiative, click here.