Institutional
The Balanz Collection focuses on contemporary artists whose perspectives challenge conventions, expanding the boundaries of what we understand as visual language while engaging in dialogue with the tensions of our time. We understand our collection as a creative process in continuous metamorphosis, through which we convey the company interests and concerns.
The Collection comprises works across a wide range of disciplines—including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, video art, textiles, installations, and more—and reflects the diversity of voices shaping the current artistic landscape. While its primary emphasis lies on Latin American production, it also includes works by artists from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and beyond. Although the artworks feature trajectories of several established artists, the Collection maintains a strong commitment to incorporating emerging voices.
With more than 600 works by over 110 artists, the Balanz Collection has, since 2008, served as a space for exchange and reflection through guided visits, exhibitions, events, activations, institutional loans, and collaborative programs. It currently maintains three dedicated exhibition spaces: one at the Balanz Nordelta offices and two at its central location in Microcentro, Buenos Aires.
We approach collecting as a living practice, in constant dialogue with the present and shaped by contributions from the artistic community. We advocate for a plural approach to collection management, in which research, conservation, communication, and exchange form essential pillars of our work.
History
The Balanz Collection is based in Argentina and comprises more than 600 works by artists from around the world. In 2008, two partners and directors of the Balanz firm, Isabel Pita and Claudio Porcel, made their first acquisition with the aim of exploring the development of an art collection. What began as a curiosity about the art world soon evolved into a personal journey of discovery, and the growing body of works gradually became a key pillar within the company: in a world of finance and investments, art emerged as a grounding force and a vital connection to the spiritual realm.
In March 2019, the Collection inaugurated a 400 m² dedicated exhibition space within the Balanz Microcentro offices, reserved for works considered central. Here, pieces by Ernesto Neto, Adrián Villar Rojas, Guillermo Kuitca, Pablo Suárez, Ana Mendieta, and others are on view. This space is housed in the Lipsia Building, an emblematic example of architectural rationalism in Buenos Aires and a designated heritage site of the city. It is also famously known by its address—“Corrientes 348, second floor by elevator”—referenced in the classic tango “A media luz.”
In 2021, the Balanz Collection launched an institutional activation program with the creation of its own website, designed to make the collection accessible, share research, curatorial projects, and relevant news about its artists. That same December, the Collection published its first book, inaugurating an ongoing editorial project that continues to accompany and expand the collection.
At the end of 2023, the company expanded its Nordelta offices to include a new exhibition area featuring an iconic work by Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson.
This year, we unveiled the Nazaré Room, a new space for temporary exhibitions located on the ground floor of the Microcentro offices. Nazaré was conceived as a space for circulation and encounter: a platform to foster dialogue between emerging and established artists, between local and international scenes, and to broaden public access to the collection.
All spaces host visits, events, and gatherings related to both art and the world of capital markets. They welcome daily local and international guests—individuals as well as representatives from museums, galleries, and various institutions. The Collection also maintains an active global loan program and adheres to a rigorous policy of artwork maintenance and conservation, supported by a team of specialized professionals.
STAFF
General Direction and Curator Juliana Fontalva
Archive and General Production Flavia Del Valle
Education Daniela Arroyo
Installation Leonardo Ocello
Conservation and Restoration Lila Madambashi and Orieta La Rocca
Design Alejandro Ros
Photography Gabriel Valansi Estudio, Fotografía de obra
Research Victoria Irisarri and Bárbara Golubicki
Editorial line María Alejandra Gatti
Proofreading and production Andrea Franco
Translation Tamara Mathov
