LONDON.- At PINTA London 2012, visitors can expect to see seminal work from the artists of Latin America in this third UK edition of the show. Particular highlights will include Brazilian Lygia Clark, one of the most original artists of the 20th century, and Chilean Matilde Perez, one of the most celebrated female artists of the kinetic genre. For the first time, PINTA will present the works of Spanish and Portuguese artists as well as the launch of the inaugural PINTA Design, a staple of future shows in London and New York.

PINTA will welcome 53 international galleries specialising in Latin American art, from Durban Segnini in Miami and Luciana Brito Galeria in Sao Paulo, to Max Wigram in London. Artist highlights at the show will include the Brazilian Lygia Clark exhibiting with Alison Jacques Gallery, presenting a range of her most iconic performances. Lygia is renowned for transforming the practice of geometric abstraction and viewers can expect to get a unique insight into her creative process. Bolivian performance artist Aruma-Sandra De Berduccy will stage a series of live acts inspired by Andean weaving in conjunction with England & Co, and, thanks to Graça Brandao, the work of Brazilian artist Lygia Pape will return to London following her successful retrospective at the Serpentine Gallery in 2011.

Another highlight of PINTA London 2012 will be the project space ‘Open Cube’: a homage to the Chilean Op artist Matilde Perez, curated by Ramón Castillo and sponsored by the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Matilde is one of the most notable and celebrated kinetic artists alive and perhaps one of the few women to have developed an acclaimed oeuvre in the field. This retrospective will present her key explorations in the field of optical illusion, developed as a poetic reflection of the cube. The work will span media such as paint, print and collage and, unique to this installation, a luminous volume that reproduces the movement of light. By combining these disciplines, Matilde hopes to immerse the audience in a complete visual experience. Now an incredible 95 years old, PINTA London 2012 will be Matilde’s first major showing of work in the UK.

For the first time in the show’s six year history, PINTA is proud to present artists from Spain and Portugal. From Spain, Gallery Rafael Ortiz will pay homage to Spanish collective, Equipo 57, whilst Blanca Soto will present historical drawings by Eduardo Chillida, and José de la Mano Galeria de Arte will explore Spanish Geometry from the 1950's. Portugal will be well represented in the Art Projects section of the show, with Pablo Leon de la Barra curating displays from two of the most important galleries in Lisbon, Galeria Filomena Soares and Graça Brandao. These will show works by Vasco Araújo and Nuno Sousa Vieira respectively.

In addition, 2012 will see the launch of the new cutting edge PINTA Design programme, an annual presentation of the best in Latin American design. For its inaugural edition, PINTA Design will focus on Mexico, showcasing examples of contemporary design from this global nation, sponsored by Tourism of Mexico. From the award winning product and interior designer Valentina Gonzalez Wohlers to the international design firm Ariel Rojo, each will present a truly unique personality which will reflect the history of both the land and the people of Mexico.

Finally, the PINTA London Museums Acquisition Programme will return for its third year in the UK, aiming to represent institutions on an international scale. This programme invites museums interested in Latin American art to buy artworks from the fair by receiving special funds from PINTA, which they must match or exceed in order to purchase the works. This year the PINTA London Museums Acquisition Programme has once again invited the Tate Modern (London), the Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris), ESCALA, Essex Collection of Art from Latin America and Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art.