ABC Art Baja California will celebrate its fourth edition from March 18 to April 5, 2026, in the cities of San José del Cabo, Todos Santos, and La Paz, in Baja California Sur. For three weeks, the festival will bring together more than 150 proposals from galleries, independent artists, collectives, and cultural projects in a circuit that includes exhibitions, interventions, sound programs, and activities open to the public.
Karim Reza García, founder and director of the project, explained that since its first edition in 2023, the festival was conceived as an initiative linked to the region:
“We didn’t want to replicate the traditional event model, but rather activate the cultural ecosystem in dialogue with the region.”
According to the organizer, over the years the project has consolidated a network that connects artists, galleries, cultural spaces, hotels, and local communities.
Reza commented that the festival’s identity is defined by its decentralized nature: “In this fourth edition, Baja California Sur transforms into a vibrant circuit for three weeks, where art is experienced in diverse contexts, from galleries to hotels, restaurants, and cultural institutions.”
The organizer explained that the festival aims to present a diverse panorama of contemporary production.
“The festival doesn’t adhere to a single aesthetic or curatorial approach. We’re more interested in building a landscape where established proposals, independent projects, and emerging practices coexist,” he said.
The project’s format also seeks to differentiate itself from other artistic platforms. “It’s not just a fair, nor is it just a festival. It’s a platform that integrates exhibition, sales, experimentation, and cultural life within a single experience,” Reza commented.
One of the highlights of this edition will be Plataforma ABC, a Hotel Art Fair model taking place from March 19 to 22 at the Drift Hotel in San José del Cabo. There, the hotel rooms will be transformed into exhibition and sales spaces for galleries, design studios, collectives, artisans, and independent artists.
Regarding this format, Reza said: “By transforming hotel rooms into exhibition spaces, a closer relationship is fostered between artists, galleries, and visitors. This format breaks with the logic of traditional booths and allows for more direct conversations and more organic discoveries.”
“Established galleries contribute a professional structure and an international network, while emerging projects bring energy, experimentation, and fresh perspectives.”
Rather than functioning as a traditionally curated exhibition, the festival is conceived as an open platform.
“The process seeks to build a diverse panorama of contemporary production, combining galleries with international experience, independent projects, and proposals linked to the local scene,” she commented.
The program also integrates various lines of exhibition and experimentation. Sala ABC will present wall exhibitions; Patio ABC will be dedicated to sculptures, installations, and outdoor works; while Sonido ABC will incorporate concerts, musical performances, and performance projects. These initiatives are complemented by Local ABC, which integrates the programming of galleries, restaurants, and hotels, and Estudios ABC, with open activities in artists’ studios.
The three host cities each contribute distinct dynamics to the festival. Reza explained that San José del Cabo serves as the project’s epicenter due to its cultural and tourism infrastructure, while Todos Santos boasts a well-established artistic community and a close connection to the landscape and history of the area. La Paz, for its part, provides an institutional dimension with its museums, theaters, and vibrant public spaces.
Regarding the festival’s impact, the director commented that one of the most visible results has been the increased visibility of local artists and venues: “Many projects from the region have connected with galleries, curators, and collectors in other cities. An economic dynamic has also been generated around culture.”
The project also has partnerships with public institutions and private sponsors. According to Reza, this support allows the event’s infrastructure to be maintained without interfering with the artistic programming: “The sponsors support the festival’s outreach, while the content for each venue is defined by the project team.”
The festival will feature established galleries such as Proyectos Monclova, RGR Galería, Galería Hilario Galguera and Travesía Cuatro, as well as independent spaces and local projects.
In this edition, Galería Hilario Galguera will participate in collaboration with AMVVLETO. They will present work by Mexican artist Christian Poire, while the gallery will exhibit pieces by British artist Oliver Marsden. Both projects will be featured at Plataforma ABC, within ABC Art Baja California, at the Drift Hotel, specifically in room 302.
Concurrent with his participation in the fair, Poire will inaugurate his solo exhibition, “From Moctezuma’s Zoo,” on March 22 in Todos Santos, at the Guaycura Hotel and AMVVLETO. Regarding the process behind this series, the artist explained:
“Some projects take years to complete because life and creative processes don’t follow a linear narrative. In recent months, I’ve dedicated myself to materializing, with the support of other hands and brilliant minds, paintings and installations that arose from both new ideas and conceptual research I’ve been developing for over a decade.”
The exhibition brings together oil paintings in various formats that revolve around a Mesoamerican imaginary. “For me, presenting my first solo show in years is a real whirlwind of emotions. Art has always been my driving force, and this exhibition represents the culmination of thousands of efforts and intentions,” Poire noted.
Looking ahead, the festival aims to solidify the region’s place within the international cultural circuit.
“In five years, we would like ABC Art Baja to be recognized as a meeting point where artists, galleries, curators, and audiences from around the world come together to discuss, discover projects, and build community,” Reza concluded.
Source: es-us.noticias.yahoo
