The Van Riel gallery, an unavoidable space in the contemporary art circuit, is already a milestone in the history of Argentine art. Looking back, when the legendary Frans van Riel arrived in our country from Rome in 1910, the Centennial celebrations were a clear sign of national optimism. In this context, van Riel set up a photography shop on Viamonte Street, between Maipú and Florida, where the most brilliant figures of the cultural environment were photographed and together with Manuel Rojas Silveyra he started the publication of Augusta, a magazine specialized in art that constituted then an indispensable source of information. Five years later, he decided to open what would become one of the most important galleries at the time, at number 659 Florida Street. In 1924 the Friends of Art Association began to operate in its rooms; It was followed, among other relevant milestones, by Ver y Estimar, the Institute of Modern Art, and the first independent theater in Buenos Aires.

Collective and individual exhibitions, conferences and art publications have taken place over the years, in a responsible and strategic work of debate, study, promotion and commercialization of art. This constant dynamism, this being at the core of events, wide awake to everything that happens, generated the trust that the artistic medium placed in the van Riels and sustained, at the same time, their permanence over time.

After the closure of the premises in 1979, the gallery reopened its doors at 1257 Talcahuano Street, using its rooms not only for art exhibitions but also for meetings regularly organized by the Argentine Association of Art Critics.
Finally, the reopening of the gallery in the new headquarters at 790 Juncal Street, in March 2007, constitutes a clear testimony of a commitment to continuity. In a new space with a stripped-down and minimalist conception, and from a contemporary perspective, its current management regularly organizes exhibitions that are based on the quality of the works.

Malena Babino