New Director of the Espigas Center for Studies

María Isabel Baldasarre has been appointed director of the Centro de Estudios Espigas at Escuela de Arte y Patrimonio of the Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM), which houses more than 500,000 documents on Argentine and Latin American art. One of her main goals during her tenure will be to “continue promoting public access to this collection.”

The School Council confirmed her appointment during its second regular meeting, a session chaired by Dean Silvia Dolinko and attended by representatives of all constituencies—students, faculty, and staff—as well as members of the administrative team. Following her appointment, she spoke with UNSAM:

What has your professional career been like, and specifically, what is your connection to UNSAM?

I am an art historian and a researcher at CONICET. My work has focused on collecting, the art market, visual culture, and, more recently, fashion and dress, primarily in Argentina and Latin America. I joined the Universidad Nacional de San Martín in 2005 as a researcher and lecturer at what was then the Instituto de Altos Estudios Sociales (IDAES). There, I also served as Secretary of Outreach, which allowed me to engage not only in research and teaching but also in building connections with diverse audiences and cultural actors—a true immersion in the field. In recent years, my research base has been the CIAP, within the Escuela de Arte y Patrimonio. My relationship with UNSAM is thus twofold: it is the place where I work and develop professionally, but also my intellectual and affective home. I am proud to be part of UNSAM and to contribute to its growth from my current position as director of the Centro de Estudios Espigas. 

What is the significance of Espigas in terms of its mission, history, and future prospects?

The Centro de Estudios Espigas is today one of the leading centers worldwide in the field of art archives, and the most important in Argentina. It has a history spanning more than thirty years and a distinctive trajectory marked by collaboration between the private and public sectors. It was conceived as a growing documentation center: one that not only preserves and safeguards archives and a unique library on Argentine and Latin American art, but also operates as an institution open to research and the circulation of knowledge. Its audience is conceived broadly, including artists, cultural practitioners, researchers, and students, as well as a wider public interested in art. This trajectory has led to its current status as part of a public university—UNSAM—while maintaining collaboration with the Fundación Espigas, which originally established it. Its aim is to further consolidate its position as a leading center for the preservation, conservation, and cataloguing of archives by artists from Argentina and Latin America, while continuing to expand access to its extensive holdings. 

As you look ahead to this new phase, what are the main challenges and areas of focus you envision for your management?

The main challenges involve consolidating and expanding access to the collections, particularly through cataloguing and digitization. In addition, Espigas must become more fully integrated into the academic life of the Universidad Nacional de San Martín, contributing to teaching, research, and knowledge-transfer activities, which are central to the university’s mission.  At the same time, we will continue to build on the dialogues and collaborations that Espigas has already established with the wide network of cultural institutions in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and abroad. In this sense, we will further promote the public circulation of this collection, which is unique within the context of Argentine art. Finally, there is a structural challenge related to securing funding and resources to sustain and expand the Center’s activities over the long term. I hope, through my role and through collective work—as is characteristic of any institutional management—to contribute to progress in these areas.