Art Toronto, Canada’s oldest and largest international fair for modern and contemporary art, opens to the public on Friday. While most of the participating galleries are Canadian, there will be a smattering of European exhibitors, as well as a group of Latin American and US galleries—including Proxyco and Swivel from New York—taking part in the fair’s “Arte Sur” section devoted to Mexican and Central and South American art.
Reflecting the current tension between the US and Canada over tariffs (and Canada’s continued, and touching, faith in soft power), a press release for “Arte Sur” notes that “[with] shifting trade relationships and increased interest in Latin American markets, ‘Arte Sur’ positions Art Toronto as a vital North American hub for international exchange.”
The big news, however, is that this year’s iteration of Art Toronto will focus across all its sections on Indigenous artists, with over half of the fair’s 100-plus booths showcasing works by Indigenous makers from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America.
Mexican gallerist Karen Huber, the curator of “Arte Sur,” writes, “For me, it was important to find galleries that work both with Indigenous artists and with artists within the Latin American territory.”
Several galleries, including Ceremonial Art and Fazakas from Vancouver, and Toronto’s Feheley Fine Arts, specialize in works by First Peoples and Inuit artists, while N. Smith Gallery from Sydney, New South Wales, will spotlight art by First Nations peoples from across Australia.
Despite its international roster, the fair’s main emphasis, as in prior years, is on Canadian art. In addition to works by Indigenous Canadians such as Ningiukulu Teevee and Shuvinai Ashoona, fairgoers will also find booths devoted to immigrants like Gerardo Ramírez and Manuel Mathieu. In a statement, Art Toronto director Mia Nielsen said, “Art Toronto continues to grow its global perspective while staying deeply rooted in Canada’s creative spirit.”
