Essex Collection of Art from Latin America

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Essex Collection of Art from Latin America

Welcome to the Essex Collection of Art from Latin America's page. An online catalogue of the Collection is available at www.escala.org.uk.

The Collection is the only public collection in Europe devoted exclusively to modern and contemporary art from Latin America. It comprises more than 700 artworks in a wide range of media by more than 350 artists from 18 countries and was founded in 1993 at the University of Essex Colchester Campus. Visitors to the Campus can see selected works in the grounds of Wivenhoe Park and in the Albert Slom

an Library. We are seeking to develop a permanent space in the Hexagon building at the Colchester Campus in order to develop our national role in providing access to and stimulating interest in Latin American art and artists. We regularly work in partnership at the University of Essex and beyond to deliver and support a range of activities including research, teaching, public programmes, learning and loans.

16/03/2026

Season 3 Finale! We’re wrapping up this season by revisiting the incredible work of Ofelia Rodríguez. This time, we’re showcasing her phenomenal mixed-media piece on canvas from 1998, “Wordless - with the Virgin of Guadalupe.”

Gisselle wears a vintage ESCADA ensemble, perfectly complementing the dazzling sequins in Rodríguez’s depiction of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

We’ve been so fortunate to share Matching Mondays at ESCALA, and we’re excited to see where the series goes in the future!

Don’t forget to explore our amazing online catalogue to continue browsing more exquisite pieces from our Collection. You can access it via the website link in our bio.

09/03/2026

This week, we’re highlighting one of our favourite works in the Collection by the celebrated Argentine artist León Ferrari, an artist we’re lucky to have represented by multiple pieces in the Collection.

“Sin título (Caligrafía: texto de “Elogio de la sombra”, J. L. Borges, 1969) Escrituras deformadas” (1997) is a striking ink and lacquer work on paper. Gisselle pairs the piece with a matching Cheap and Chic by Moschino skirt and shirt, echoing the artwork’s expressive calligraphic lines.

Stay tuned for next week’s Matching Mondays episode, our final episode of Season Three.

02/03/2026

Bringing out newspaper-inspired garments to reflect on Horacio Zabala’s powerful engagement with the press in “24-12-1994: Dólares” (1994).

In the 1980s and 1990s, the Argentine artist subverted newspaper front pages, rendering them indecipherable, and challenged the binary of copy and original. By reproducing a newspaper and transforming it into a singular artwork, he coined the term “unique originals”. Created in a post-dictatorial context, these works echo the weight of censorship in Argentina and remind us how information can be manipulated, obscured, and controlled. A timely reminder of the ever-recurring warping of information and of the constant discernment such distortion demands of us.

Next week, we return with more fabulous looks in our Matching Mondays series.

16/02/2026

Another Matching Mondays, another fabulous look, another artwork to fall in love with.

This week, we’re diving into the world of Colombian artist Andrés Fresneda and his 1996 photobook Bonito. One striking page from the series finds its perfect fashion counterpart in an iconic Moschino Jeans matching top and cardigan, memorably worn by Fran Fine on the beloved sitcom The Nanny.

Stay tuned for a fresh edition of Matching Mondays next week!

09/02/2026

This week is heavenly iconic, so turned to vintage gems to spotlight Nora Iniesta’s “’Homenage, paisaje” (1979).

The ethereal, clouded landscape of Iniesta’s work finds its fashion echo in the truly iconic Cheap and Chic by Moschino Cloud skirt suit, paired with its matching silk shirt. One of ultimate gems from Gisselle’s Moschino Collection.

With sincere thanks to for her generosity and for sharing insight into her work and this remarkable screenprint.

Next week, we return with more garments, this time as seen on the fabulous 1990’s TV icon, Fran Fine.

02/02/2026

This week, we dive into the spectacularly vibrant world of Colombian artist Ofelia Rodríguez, with heartfelt thanks to the wonderful team at Spike Island for sharing the publication accompanying her major 2023 monographic exhibition, “Talking in Dreams”, at the Bristol institution.

Her work “Prestándole un oido al pasado” (1994) is one of the true favourites in our Collection and we’re delighted to share a brief reflection from curator Carolina Ponce de León on this extraordinary piece.

Filmed at the height of last summer, this video has us yearning for sunnier, warmer days on the horizon.

Stay tuned as we’ll be back next Monday with more art and more vintage fashion.

26/01/2026

Matching Mondays are back! To kick off our last season, we are highlighting the fantastic work by Oswaldo Viteri, “Sol y Misterio sobre silencio” (2002).

The beautiful golden damask silk which acts as the backdrop of this artwork deserves nothing less than a 1950s vintage dress and an iconic 1980s Moschino Couture blazer ⚡✨

Viteri’s explores Ecuador’s cultural contradictions and richness of history through blending Catholic iconography with Indigenous references. What do you think of this match? Let me know below!

Don’t miss a new edition of “Matching Mondays” next week!

04/11/2025

✨ Re-photographing some sparkling gems from our Collection today! We were lucky to have the talented photographer Doug Atfield with us, capturing both our exciting new acquisitions and some familiar favourites that deserved fresh portraits for our online catalogue.

📸 Here, Doug is photographing “El Río”(1993) by María Juana Heras Velasco, one of the stunning pieces we revisited today. 💎

30/10/2025

✨ Last Saturday, artist Rebeca Romero welcomed students from Language and Linguistics to her studio for a chat in Spanish about magic, indigenous cosmovision, technology, ritual, and fiction.

Throughout the autumn term, students from the Mastery Spanish module, led by Profesora Teresa Torres, have been exploring Rebeca’s commissioned work for ESCALA, Axis Mundi (2023). This visit was the perfect chance to meet the artist behind the piece and practise their conversation skills in a real-world setting.

Huge thanks to Rebeca for her generosity and for giving our students such a special opportunity to experience her studio and creative process. 💫

At ESCALA, we’re all about making our Collection accessible and keeping it alive through teaching and research. If you’d like ESCALA to be part of your classes, drop us an email or send us a DM, we’d love to chat about how we can collaborate! 💬

07/10/2025

Welcome, Freshers! 🎉

We’re thrilled to welcome a new cohort of students this academic year. Join us for an exciting tour of our Teaching and Research Space in the Constable Building at the University of Essex’s Colchester Campus.

Discover the study of Latin American art at Essex and get an up-close look at some of the remarkable works in our collection.

🗓 Tuesday 14 October
⏰ Tours at 12pm and 2pm

For more information, follow the links in our bio.

📸 Photos by Doug Atfield

16/01/2025

🌊 Launch Party announcement! 🌊

Taking a bow / Haciendo una reverencia

Launch Party: Thursday 6 February, 6pm – 8pm at Art Exchange

"Taking a bow" is an art exhibition that transforms intimate memories of mourning into an ode to the resilience, beauty, and contradictory dimensions of masculinities. Set in the Peruvian coastal community of Callao, this installation honours biological families, chosen families, coastal communities, and joy in the face of life’s impermanence.

Join us to celebrate this new commission by artist Bryan Giuseppi Rodriguez Cambana. This installation has been commissioned by Art Exchange and the Essex Collection of Art from Latin America.

All very welcome! Todes bienvenides!

Address

Wivenhoe Park
Colchester
CO43SQ

Website

http://www.escala.org.uk/

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