50 Years Of PALATINA
Our Story
Galería Palatina opened its doors on August 22, 1975, in its already renowned location on Arroyo Street, no less than half a century ago.
The Founders
The gallery was founded by Ricardo Coppa Oliver and Norma Quarrato, its current director. They chose the gallery's name after a visit to the Roman Forum, where they happened upon a block of ancient marble bearing the word "Palatina." This was the first art gallery to open on Arroyo Street, which at the time was off the cultural circuit: it housed dry cleaners, neighborhood stores, and the famous Mau Mau nightclub. It's impossible to tell the story of Palatina without mentioning Laura Pereiro, Martha Detry, and Ethel Silveyra, who worked side by side with the gallery's founders, becoming essential and beloved figures.
The gallery walls have seen the work of renowned Argentine artists.
Carlos Alonso, Daniel Santoro, Antonio Pujía, Alberto Bastón Díaz, Horacio Butler, Lucrecia Orloff, and Miguel Ángel Vidal. It has also exhibited works by modern Uruguayan artists such as Pedro Figari, Rafael Barradas, José Gurvich, and Joaquín Torres García.
Present at every edition of the Arte BA fair since its inception, Palatina boasts a rich backstage collection featuring unique works by artists such as Antonio Berni, Roberto Aizenberg, Nicolás García Uriburu, Alicia Penalba, Jorge de la Vega, and Juan Carlos Distefano, among others.
Currently, in addition to focusing on the secondary market for modern artists, the gallery represents a growing number of young contemporary artists whose time at the gallery has led to their professional growth nationally and internationally. The result has been numerous acquisitions by museums, art institutions, and collectors around the world.
