A mast for contemporary art. The Engelman-Ost collection in the local artistic field

The article analyzes the Engelman-Ost Collection, Uruguay's main collection of contemporary art, focusing on this couple's role within the local art field, and their influence on the processes of circulation and promotion of contemporary art. This collection is analyzed as representative of the new way of collecting art that emerged in the seventies, which differs from the modern art collecting of the first half of the 20th century. Based on an interview with Clara Ost and the scrutiny of the collection's digital archive, the pattern of art consumption followed by both collectors is studied, as well as the collection's main features, its curatorial script and the meaning attributed by the collectors to the whole set.