Aaron Cezar, founding director of the Delfina Foundation, tells us a bit more about what he’s looking forward to at this year’s ARTBO.
TBP: What are you hoping to do during your time in Colombia? What are you hoping to see?
AC: I am thrilled to be invited to curate the Proyectos section of ARTBO this year. ARTBO coincides with several momentous events that I am eager to attend, such as the 45th Salón Nacional de Artistas, which returns to Bogotá after 10 years of circulating around the country, as well as the 10th Premio Luis Caballero, which features major art installations in different venues.
ARTBO anchors the city’s rich contemporary art scene, and I am excited to visit many of the commercial galleries. Several galleries based in Bogotá are participating in Proyectos at ARTBO, presenting artists such as Carlos Castro Arias (La Galeria), Ivan Navarro (SKETCH), Julieth Morales (Espacio el Dorado), and Fernando Arias (FORO.SPACE). I look forward to seeing what these galleries also present in their permanent spaces throughout the city.
Related: 15 years of ARTBO
TBP: What will the Delfina Foundation be doing at ARTBO?
AC: In my capacity as Director of Delfina Foundation, I have several interests in attending ARTBO. Firstly, I want to take the pulse of the contemporary art scene as manifested through the presentations at the fair. There is always so much energy emanating from ARTBO’s Artecámara section for emerging artists. It shouldn’t be missed!
For Proyectos I am taking my own curatorial interest in performance, as well as my recent experience co-curating the performance programme at the 58th Venice Biennale, to create a thematic section on Performance in Practice. The artists in Proyectos use performance as a way of processing the world around us. They create meaning through re enactment, embodiment, and public engagement, among other strategies. Their artworks, which include objects, videos, installations and live actions are all considered to be performances in the way they are produced, received or interpreted. In short, they shape and subvert our bodily experience, thus producing new forms of knowledge.
In addition to live works, Proyectos includes documentation of historical and more recent performances. These photographs, videos and archival materials attempt to trace the live experience and perhaps, they act as an alternative way of recording and rewriting history.
TBP: Any recommendations for those new to the Bogotá art scene on what to watch?
AC: No visit to Bogotá can be complete without supporting its non-profit organisations. I highly recommend new visitors to the city go to Flora, NC-Arte and El Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá. Please make donations to help sustain these vital institutions, or consider purchasing limited edition artworks or items in their bookshops or gift shops. It is important to support all elements of the arts ecosystem.