Consulate General in Guangzhou

On October 23, 2026, the photography exhibition Gauchos, by Uruguayan artist Luis Fabini, opened at the Art Institute of the Orient, located on the historic Shamian Island in Guangzhou. Organized by the Consulate General of Uruguay in Guangzhou and the Directorate General for Cultural Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the exhibition will remain open to the public until November 9, 2026.

Through 33 black-and-white photographs, Fabini takes visitors on a journey through northern Uruguay, portraying the lives of gauchos, their daily work, their relationship with horses, and the landscapes they inhabit. Developed over years of living alongside rural communities, his work offers an intimate and documentary perspective on a tradition that remains an integral part of Uruguay's cultural identity.

Since 2021, this remarkable exhibition has traveled to prominent museums and cultural institutions across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, including the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) and the United Nations' Palais des Nations.

In Guangzhou, the exhibition is curated by Uruguayan Lorena San Martín, who designed a journey that invites visitors to gradually discover the figure of the gaucho, from their faces and expressions to their connection with the land, their work, and everyday life.

During the opening ceremony, the Consul General of Uruguay, Matías Benítez, highlighted the shared elements among the various equestrian and cattle-raising traditions of the Americas, as well as certain parallels with China's pastoral cultures. In this context, he emphasized the value of photography as a means of fostering cultural understanding between the two countries, particularly during the current Year of the Horse in the Chinese lunar calendar.

This exhibition has been made possible thanks to the support of Uruguay's National Meat Institute (INAC) and the Art Institute of the Orient.

The arrival of Gauchos in Guangzhou, as part of its 2026 Asian tour, provides a new opportunity to introduce Chinese audiences to different expressions of Uruguay's cultural heritage and to further strengthen cultural ties between Uruguay and southern China.