Bogotá’s flagship art fair, Artbo, has entered its 21st edition this week, opening alongside the city’s newly launched contemporary art biennial and generating strong sales in the four- and five-figure range.

A decade ago, Colombia’s art scene was thriving at its peak, with Artbo boasting double the number of galleries it hosts today. While that momentum has shifted, the fair—organized by the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce—has demonstrated remarkable resilience. “Colombia’s art market is complicated,” admits Paula Bossa, director of Casas Riegner gallery, yet Artbo continues to adapt and evolve.

This year’s edition (running until 28 September) is marked by two milestones. The first is the debut of the Bogotá Biennial, Ensayos sobre la Felicidad (until 9 November), which has drawn international collectors and museum curators to the city. The second is a leadership transition at Artbo itself: after a decade under María Paz Gaviria, the fair is now directed by Jaime A. Martínez, an art historian and former gallerist with international experience in Berlin.

Martínez aims to balance elegance with discovery, positioning Artbo as both a refined showcase and a launchpad for Colombian and Latin American art. Despite challenges such as the 2023 peso devaluation, inflation, shifting politics, and post-pandemic realities, the fair remains a vital hub for the region’s art circulation, hosting 46 galleries this year.

Early sales reflected steady demand: São Paulo-based Galeria Vermelho, a longtime Artbo participant, reported sales within hours of the VIP preview, including Tania Candiani’s Cromatica (2015) at $18,000, Marcelo Moscheta’s Autopoiesis at $4,000, and Ximena Garrido-Lecca’s Restauraciones de señal at $16,000.

With its loyal mix of domestic and international exhibitors, Artbo continues to anchor Colombia’s art market—even as the global art world undergoes structural shifts.