Most of us tend to take an interest in art, but how many of us can say we go out of our way to see it? Perhaps that’s because a lot of contemporary art tends to be hidden away in little boutique galleries, nestled discreetly in chic barrios and hardly ever advertised to the average person. High-tier art may often elude us in everyday life, but that could change this weekend in Bogotá. 

This edition of ARTBO marks the twenty-year celebration of the city’s international art fair. Over the past two decades, ARTBO has consolidated itself as the central axis of Bogotá’s art circuit, giving Latin American artists the opportunity to take their place on the global art stage.

ARTBO offers an antidote to the sometimes elitist and elusive nature of fine art by opening works to the public in one central location, away from the obscurity of high-end galleries. This year it centres around themes of the body, memory, daily life, the environmental crisis, and the intersection of art, science and technology. Such a broad scope means there’s sure to be something for all tastes. 

In a similar spirit, ARTBO offers a space to established and emerging artists alike. It features diverse artists and curators from some of the most exclusive galleries worldwide, from Panama to New York City. ARTBO allows top-quality contemporary art to exit the exclusive and enter the quotidian for just one weekend. This makes it the perfect plan this weekend, whether you’re a seasoned art lover, or simply art-curious. With the showcase featuring over 200 artists from 120 institutions, we are spoiled for choice.

Our top picks for ARTBO 2024

Gallery 193, Ágora, fifth floor, stand 521

This Paris-based gallery focuses on amplifying emerging artists from the global south. Gallery 193 offers the perfect portal outside of the familiar, featuring artists such as Kenyan Thandiwe Muriu whose work is also currently being shown at the Venice Biennale. 

Galería El Museo, fifth floor, Ágora stand 526

The gallery that has represented renowned artists such as Fernando Botero offers a glance at some of the greats of Colombian art. Showcased here will be the winner of the Botero prize, Marco Mojica and acclaimed painter, Gabriel Silva. Silva has inspired countless emerging Colombian artists through his work as a professor at the prestigious Javeriana University. Silva’s paintings can also be found in the Museo de Arte Moderno, Bogotá. Silva’s work in the classroom and the studio is representative of ARTBO’s role in giving a platform to the entire spectrum of Colombian artists. Both he and his students have been featured in previous editions of ARTBO.

Homage to David Manzur, Ágora first floor

This year will include an homage to the iconic David Manzur, whose seventy-year career has left an indelible mark on Colombian art and artists alike. Manzur, now in his 95th year, has spawned a generation of Colombian artists through his iconic academy Taller de David Manzur. The exhibition is set to honor the legacy of his work while inspiring the next generation of artists, a monument to artistic greatness in Colombia and a catalyst for its future. 

Artecámara, Ágora third floor

One thing that sets ARTBO apart from the traditional art fair setting is its Artecámara section. This offers a platform for lesser-known artists without gallery representation. The exhibition titled Una moneda al aire is curated by Ximena Gama, the curator of the Colombian National Library. The section includes 30 artists, whose work responds to questions about the uncertainty of the present, through revision of the past.  Among the artists featured will be Andrés Quintero, with his project “Oxigenos Boyaca”. Quintero’s work will transport us temporarily to the mountains of Boyaca in his exploration of campesino traditions and wool production through stunning videography.

Encuentros, Ágora third floor, Salon M

Contemporary art can often be abstract and leave one a little puzzled. But ARTBO’s Encuentros section will feature discussions between curators, museum directors and collectors. This lets us take a peep behind the curtain of art curation, taking the mystery out of the art world and giving us an understanding of the thought processes behind such elaborate collections. Curated by Benedicta Badía, member of the committee for acquisitions of the Latin American circle at the Guggenheim museum, the section will address diverse topics from the question of validity in the art market to tokenism and exoticism in diaspora art.

How to enjoy ARTBO 2024

ARTBO will take place in the Ágora Bogotá, Calle 24 #38-47, from September 26-29. 

• Opening hours: Noon to 8pm (Thurs to Sat). Noon to 7pm (Sunday)
• Tickets: General: COP$40,000. Student tickets: COP$20,000. Children under 12 go free.
  (Affiliates of Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá: COP$30,000, clients of Banco Bogotá: COP$36,000.)

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Long Covid isn’t only for people. It affects culture too. Last year was a year of rebirth and new beginnings as all kinds of festivals and ferías came back to life. The question now is: Can they continue? In the case of ARTBO 2023, the answer is a resounding yes.

The Bogotá art scene is renowned for its resilience, so it’s perhaps no surprise that the festival has not only survived but blossomed, with ARTBO 2023 adding two new sections and consolidating itself in the new home of Ágora rather than Corferías across the road. Organizer Maria Paz Gaviría describes it as “new spaces, new realities,” which perfectly describes the exhibition.

The two new sections are Diseño and Encuentros. These fit in with the existing displays such as Referentes and Proyectos that aim to showcase largely contemporary local artists. ARTBO 2023 features four whole floors of the delightful Ágora space – frankly a perfect backdrop for art.

The event is smartly organised, with the ground floor dominated by an immense installation by the Mapa Teatro collective. Los Santos Inocentes takes the form of a gigantic colourful dress with party streamers flowing from its arms and neck. Lower down you can go under the dress and see what’s there. But we’ll leave that as a surprise for you!

The ground floor also features powerful works from indigenous artist Jacanamijoy, whose huge canvases take advantage of the space to really come alive. These large, multicoloured works are best seen from multiple angles and by walking around them. The sculptures of Jaime Miranda-Bambarén make up the third part of the jigsaw.

Proceeding up the elevators, the art truly starts on the second floor with ¿Cómo piensan los bosques? curated by Goldsmiths graduate Claudia Segura. As one might expect from an alumni of such an iconoclastic institution, the art is brave and striking. The various works aim to encourage us to think not only of humans but of all life on earth.

Elsewhere on the floor, art collective El Marrano de Barro blur the lines between activism, social history and art. Political slogans and posters sit side-by-side with more idiosyncratic depictions of ordinary Colombians’ fight for their rights. It’s an arresting and thought-provoking display.

Top-class Colombia talent

ARTBO 2023 features more top-class contemporary Colombian talent inside the 3rd-floor Referentes gallery. Tercera Naturaleza serves as a theme that draws together different movements in contemporary Colombian art. Natural influences segue neatly into thoughtful neo-impressionism, with local experience and influence proudly featured.

The rainforest-inspired rooms of Selva Cosmopolítica are a highlight, carefully curated and deeply tied to the very essence of Colombia’s nature. Miguel Ángel Rojas’ jungle scenes stand out for their vibrant shades of green. Flora Ars + Natura has a similar emphasis, drawing on the connection between humans and nature.

The new Diseño section is across the way, and rather attractive. There’s a well-laid out set of example rooms to show exactly how each part fits together. It’s a relatively small space compared to the more traditional artistic disciplines. But it packs a lot of power in a small package.

Finally, the much larger fourth floor of ARTBO 2023 is where you’ll find all the major galleries of the city showcasing their wares. It’s not only locals either, collections from elsewhere in Latin America, Europe and North America are also exhibiting. In total, there are 45 galleries from 17 different countries.

While buying original artwork isn’t for everyone’s budget, the Bogotá scene is somewhat affordable compared to other major markets. There aren’t quite works for every wallet, but you may find more opportunities than you expect – especially from artists that make prints, of which there are a few.

Bogotá is by far the centre of the country for all cultural events, so if you’re interested in contemporary art, this is the place to be. That said, there are a number of issues that stop the capital from being a regional heavyweight like Mexico City, Sao Paolo or Buenos Aires.

The city’s art scene is best described as resilient, with a limited foundation to build on. There is a small gallery scene with centres in Chapinero and San Felipe, a handful of art institutions such as the Nacho and limited funds available to support artistic endeavour. It’s a minor miracle and testament to Colombian artists that there even is a scene.

ARTBO 2023 is open now and runs until Sunday 26th November at Ágora Bogotá, Calle 24 #38-47, midday to 8pm (7pm on Sunday). The entrance is on the calle, nearest TransMis are Recinto Ferial or Ciudad Universitaría on the K (El Dorado) line. Tickets are COP$36,000 and available online here.

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This weekend features a red hot opportunity to catch one of Colombia’s best young artists, Sako Asko. That’s his nome de arte, but his real name is Santiago Oliveros. He’s best-known for brightly coloured yet darkly comic observations on life. He says he wanted to put on a retrospective but “it ended up as a festival, SAKOASKOFEST.” 

In a quiet corner of Teusaquillo, you’ll find the Juicy Juicy exhibition of Sako’s work at Casa Celo, a pop-up gallery in a large old Bogotá townhouse. He will be exhibiting again in Colombia later this year, and in Mexico and Europe too, but this is set to be the most intimate and fun of the events, with music and events alongside the art.

We toddled along to the gin-soaked launch party to speak to the artist himself about the exhibition. He’s gregarious and funny, with sharply intuitive eyes. We’ve spoken before, and he enquires after my dogs – his work may be dark, but he has a light soul. He tells me his NY resolutions are “to publish El Viajero and to live with more gratitude.”

Sako Asko is better described as a world in which we see Oliveros’ view of contemporary society and the pressures we live under. Garishly bright colours saturate hellish images of the worst parts of modern human culture. People sit zombified by the screens in front of them, with disconnection a running theme in his work.

We last spoke to Santiago in February 2020, just a month or so before the chaos of COVID-19 arrived in Colombia and turned everything upside down. He says that “the pandemic showed me that at any moment, without warning, many things can fall down. It gave me a sense of detachment and fluidity from my projects and goals.”

Since that point, however, he’s gone from strength to strength. It seems the distorted world of the pandemic perfectly fits his dystopian visions. In late 2022 he exhibited and toured in Europe. “In London particularly, I had a great connection with the people who came to the show. I think the English humour is dark and sarcastic, and of course my images have those ingredients too.”

Although Oliveros is best known for his bright, bold pop-art cartoons, he’s also featuring two other parts of his work: the Huracanes series of oil paintings and his mythology-inspired ink prints. Prints and series start from COP$80,000, although an original oil painting will go well into the millions. Pins and clothes using his images start from COP$30,000.

The Huracanes series features landscapes, often involving water and especially rivers. These are mostly in appropriately washed-out colours, evoking a strong sense of melancholy and despair – a drowning figure here and a flayed man there. Curiously, the rivers carry Indian names such as Ganges and Yamuna.

His ink prints, on the other hand, are vivid and stark. Clean lines delineate sharp, precise symbols leaning heavily on Norse-style imagery. There are warriors and wolves, each one a study in solitary pensiveness. Other inspirations seem to have arrived from Hinduism, connecting back to the Indian river names in Huracanes.

The exhibition is open from 6pm today, and from four in the afternoon next week. Saturday and Sunday start at 1pm and 10am respectively. There’s a band on for Friday night (9pm), and speed dating on Saturday night (7pm). On Sunday, you can take part in a drawing workshop with Santiago for COP$50,000. Register for that by messaging +57 314 2670375.

Sako Asko Fest runs until Feb 22 at Casa Celo, Carrera 16 #35-23. Free admission.

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This weekend, art will take over Bogotá once again as ArtBo returns after a three-year break. Find out what the fair’s about, how to make the most of it, and what else is happening in the city in the coming days.

What is ArtBo?

ArtBo is an annual international art fair that takes place in Bogotá each year. Apart from a pandemic pause, ArtBo has been going since 2004 and is a key event on the Latin American art circuit. It attracts a wide mix of art and galleries. This year there will be over 50 galleries from various different countries, representing more than 300 artists.

What’s worth seeing this year?

Good question. There’s so much to see that the best bet is to explore and soak up as much as possible. Some have commented that there’s not a lot of work from newer artists and that a lot of the work on show at ArtBo 2022 isn’t very recent. Nonetheless, here are just a few artists to watch out for. 

Beatriz González is a big name in Colombian art. She’s currently got an exhibition called Bruma on at Fragmentos in the Espacio de Arte y Memoria which reflects on themes of forced disappearance. It echoes her Auras anónimas, an installation next to the cemetery of silkscreen images replicated across over 8,000 tombstones. Her work at ArtBo sketches stories of the Wiwa tribe. 

Ella McVeigh (UK) is one of the newer artists featured at the show. Her abstract work was brought to Bogotá by a Belgian gallery called Newchild. Her striking use of colour and form conjure echoes of nature and are well worth seeking out.

Kindi Llatju is a Colombian indigenous artist from Putumayo who mixes his cultural traditions with modern techniques. According to the Adrián Ibáñez gallery, his work captures memories of childhood, people, myths and values. His art has depth and texture due to a process of removing and adding layers of paint.

Pedro Ruiz is another well known Colombian artist. His work explores various social and political aspects of the country, particularly its indigenous culture, the disconnect between rural and urban life, and the way we interact with nature.

Pablo Arrázola’s art evokes the playful and power nature of childhood. The Colombian artist juxtaposes painting and drawing against the textures produced by tearing, scrunching, and cutting paper.

Given the furore around non-fungible tokens (NFTs) last year, it probably won’t surprise you to learn that they feature heavily at the fair. Indeed, the Colpatria tower will be alight with an NFT from Álvaro Barrios during ArtBo. As you walk around the fair, you’ll see a number of works also have associated NFTs.

Before you ask, NFTs are essentially a digital certificate of ownership, and they’ve changed the way people can own or collect digital art. NFT art really hit the headlines when Christie’s in London sold a huge digital collage called “Everydays – The First 5,000 Days” for almost $70 million. 

ArtBo may be the reason everything’s about art in the capital this weekend, but it’s not the only gig in town. Several other art events, such as Barcú and Open San Felipe will also be worth a visit.

OK, and what’s Barcú?

Barcú is more focused on emerging artists and one of the special things about it is that it’s set in various historic buildings in the city centre. According to its website, the Barcú team is obsessed with building social transformation through art, music, and culture. Barcú takes place from October 25 to 30 and tickets cost $25,000 for a day pass and $40,000 for an evening pass.

And Open San Felipe?

San Felipe has been building a name for itself as Bogotá’s art district. It has fairly regular events, including Open San Felipe which is a weekend affair. There’s an Open San Felipe taking place this weekend (October 28, 29 and 30). It’s free, and you can wander around the galleries, all within walking distance of each other. We’d recommend starting/finishing in Casa 73-22 for a coffee-book-art stop.

OK, so when is this big art bonanza taking place? 

The official dates are from October 27 to 30. ArtBo is open from noon until 8pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. On Sunday it’s open from noon until 7pm.

Bear in mind that while the main event in Corferias will wind up on Sunday, many of the exhibitions across the city will continue for longer. For example, there’s an exhibition called “Rituales, saberes y tejidos” (Rituals, knowledge and fabrics) in the Claustro de las Aguas on  Calle 18A #1-06 which runs until November 16. It brings together contemporary art and traditional craftwork, all themed around a solar eclipse.

Where is it happening?

Bogotá’s convention centre, Corferias (Avenida La Esperanza con Carrera 39) will be the heart of ArtBo this weekend. That said, art-related things are happening throughout the city. 

In Corferias, ArtBo is divided into various sections:

• Principal: Various galleries from Colombia and the rest of the world present
• Referentes: Focuses on historical work by Latin American artists. 
• Proyectos: This year Proyectos looks at the aftermath of failed national projects and the emotions that go with them.
• Sitio: Situated at different points in the fair, Sitio plays with ideas of audience perception.
• Artecámara: Featuring over 30 Colombian artists under the age of 40.
• Foro: The academic section of the fair explores the theme of tropical gothic.
• Articularte: Encourages interaction around modern and contemporary art. 
• Libro de Artista: Explores the use of books as an artistic medium. This year the title is “Ups, algo salió mal” or “Oops, something went wrong.”

Phew, there’s a lot to see

That there is. And we’ve only given you a small flavour of what’s on offer. If you’re even slightly interested in art, particularly Colombian art, this is the weekend to explore.

Huge thanks to Sally Wilson for additional reporting and photos.

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Banksy has become one of the best-known street artists in the world, even though the identity of the artist remains unknown. For the next three months, more than 100 pieces of his work will be on show in Bogotá, including artwork, sculptures, installations, videos, and photographs. Book tickets online to see the show at the Villa Adelaida (Chapinero. Cra 7 #70-40), the exhibition’s open every day though times vary.

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Rafael Barón Herazo’s show entitled 1000 +1 on the second floor of Galería Otros 360º / Otros 360 Gallery located in a popular restaurant on Quinto Camacho could be misconstrued as kitschy work, embodying the screen sirens of Hollywood’s Golden Era. 

There are no Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan visages here. Only the glamorous faces of Dietrich and Garbo grace the large-scale canvases of this Barranquilla and Medellín-based artist. Asked about his inspiration and why he depicted movie stars from the 30s and 40s in this work Barón stated, “Stars from the golden age of cinema were used as a nod to that idea of timeless beauty, idealized and close to the concept of divinity.” This is why he says, “The use of halos were also prominent in the work.”

“I feel that my work is melodramatic, exacerbated in feelings, and theatrical and these characters, or their frames, give the perfect accent and atmosphere that I want to convey in my images,” he explained.  

Another element that is prevalent in the work and in this series – indeed it’s where it got its name – is the Arabian Nights or A Thousand And One Nights. Barón explains it’s about the night and the oriental aesthetics of the rugs. He added, “I understood that the universe was where both are combined and that was my closest reference and meeting point of the two topics I wanted to address: the night and oriental rugs.” 

Barón states, “This period developed in my imaginary universe is where my work takes place and my characters live, and what I call the ‘Macondo Social Club;’ I was also inspired by the night, that’s why all the works have grey backgrounds.” 

The carpets and rugs come into his art as a dress worn by Barón’s glamorous divas or a bodice, the composition of a jacket on one of his dapper male escorts, or even as a halo. The price of the works ranges between ten and twenty-two million Colombian pesos. The magic carpet ride of Barón’s work really does seem to take the viewer into his universe of L’amour and divinity.

Rafael Barón Herazo’s show can be seen at Galería Otros 360º until 2 July 2022

Calle 70A #9-24, Bogota

contacto@otros360grados.com

Tel: +57 601 527 62 70

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Maria Luisa Ortiz’s background is not politics – it’s high fashion. She originally studied haute couture with Christian Dior in Paris. Now she’s using that knowledge to help re-thread connections in communities badly damaged by Colombia’s conflict. “Once you’re sitting at the sewing machine – that’s when you have everything in common. It’s the same worldwide,” says Maria Luisa.  

A moment of political awakening in her native Colombia, led her to return and build something that’s become a lifeline for former combatants as well as survivors of the conflict. The collaborative project weaves together peace, history, and ecology – repurposing used uniforms with artisanal embroidery to create brand new pieces of clothing.

“Back when I started my career, I wasn’t so conscious of my country and what surrounded me – I was focussed on my oficio – my craft. It is still my passion,” Maria Luisa tells me. The small plaster on her finger feels out of place with her casual glamour and effortless elegance. But it’s crucial evidence she hasn’t strayed far from the needle and thread even after a decades-long career.

In 2013, three years before the peace deal was signed with the FARC, at an event to celebrate and preserve the country’s artisanal practices, she saw the potential of Colombia’s traditional crafts and artisanry – and how undervalued much of it was.

“My brain exploded,” she said. “I had the opportunity to travel to those communities and see that what – in Paris, where I had studied – was so valued and highly-paid for in Europe, was providing only situations of poverty for artisans here. To too many people they are just part of the landscape.”

Maria Luisa started to train survivors of conflict, displaced people, and former-combatants. The more she travelled, the more she was struck by the division in the country. 

“We are from the same land, we are from the same past. It was hard to understand our division. But I saw there could be a unifying thread between us, all of us. So many families have a sewing machine at home, rural and urban families.”

“And we asked one another, ‘Who taught you to sew?’ It was a magic moment.” She continues, “The conflict disappeared… Something in common which doesn’t put you on one side or another – especially in this country. The spark stayed in my head. I had to do something.”

Read also: Colombian craft for dummies, a brief explanation

Then came a joint design project repurposing police uniforms. Hundreds of thousands of uniforms head to landfill every year in Colombia. And so the idea was born – uniting the power of sewing with the idea of upcycling old textiles: “The two problems united,” she says.

With state support, a workshop was set up in Tolima and a connection was made with a cooperative of the indigenous community of Embera Katío in Tierralta, Córdoba, a region of Colombia often caught in the crossfire between guerrillas and paramilitary groups. The workshop creates the clothes, and the cooperative in Córdoba produces traditional molas – symbolic beaded panels which decorate them.

Building cooperation with various parts of society

It’s now a patchwork team involving former FARC combatants, indigenous artisans, local entrepreneurs, civil society, and social enterprise. By building cooperation between these parts of society, the project aims to stitch together parts of Colombia that have been pulled apart by conflict.

It’s been a complicated process and a lot of sacrifice, says Gonzalo Beltrán, a former FARC combatant who now works for the collective in the workshop in Tolima. But it now supports him and his family as well as the team in the workshop, who are also building strong links with the community.

“There’s still insecurity for us, but we have learnt to work hard to demonstrate to people who don’t believe in the peace process that it is possible, that we are still committed to this process despite everything,” he says. “Via these designs we can link people, transmit a message of unity, joy, resolution.”

The used uniforms and textiles are often even donated by companies who then buy the finished products. They are now being shipped all over the world by ISHKAR – a London-based company which specialises in preserving traditional craftsmanship, and providing market access to places which are often excluded from global trade. They also work with creators from Afghanistan.

“We wanted not only to create something that could generate income for the artisans, but also a symbolic object that speaks of reconciliation. Working with both the ex-combatants and the indigenous community, the jackets and bags represent cooperation, stitching together parts of Colombia that have been pulled apart by conflict.” says Nadia, ISHKAR’s Head of Production.

Gonzalo says he’s hopeful about the project and its potential not just to support reintegration after the conflict, but to keep faith in the peace process, uniting former opponents and rebuilding communities. 

“The future of Colombia is pretty complicated,” he said. “But we want to demonstrate to society that we can build a better country, and leave a better future to the new generation.”

Emily Hart is an independent journalist based in Colombia. She’s written for The Times, TheTelegraph, Pitchfork, Dazed etc. She runs a weekly news digest: Colombia’s top news stories in English – curated, digested, and delivered straight to your phone every Monday as a 5-minute audio and text. Sign up here for $5 per month! 

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As the country grinds to a halt and almost all public spaces have been closed, many have taken to the internet to cope. While many films and albums are readily available to stream online, the age of COVID-19 brings with it an expanded world of digital performances and live-stream content.

Read our latest coverage on the coronavirus in Colombia

Service industry workers have been laid off due to business closings meaning that many current working artists, who often rely on the gig economy for their income, have had everything cancelled or postponed. Next time you’re looking for entertainment and are thinking about binge-watching something on Netflix, consider supporting local artists instead by tuning into a live-stream

Here are just a few Bogotá-based options:

Drag

When Bogotá drag queen Lesley Wolf started planning Home Drag Festival, she was responding to an immediate need in the drag community. The country’s quarantine orders had left drag artists like herself with cancelled and postponed performances. Wolf, in collaboration with Bogotá production company Victoria Films and the related YouTube channel, Raros Queer Experience , decided to put on Home Drag Festival, a virtual drag series that had its first installment on Sunday, March 29. 

Wolf said she had low expectations for the event and was pleasantly surprised to find that over 500 people tuned in for Sunday’s stream. After seeing that the drag community in Canada was putting on virtual shows while practicing social distancing, Wolf decided to produce something similar but with a Colombian twist. Sunday’s show featured over 30 Colombian drag artists from all over the country.

“This initiative has several purposes,” said Wolf. “It seeks to shed light on Colombian drag art– we had queens from Pereira, Cali, Medellín, Bucaramanga, and of course from here, from Bogotá. It also serves as a platform so that the artists can receive tips for their performances.”

Each performing drag artist has two minutes to perform, choosing to compete in one of the following categories: lipsync, makeup, and outfit. During each performance, the queen’s name, social media information, and payment platform information- Nequi, Paypal or Daviplata- appears on the bottom of the screen.

“We didn’t expect such a marvellous and massive response. We also didn’t expect the donations to be so spectacular,” said Wolf as she expressed her gratitude for last Sunday’s audience generosity.

Tune into Raros Queer Experience this weekend for the next installment of Drag Home Festival to support Colombian drag art.

Indie music

When they saw unknown artists struggling to gain exposure, friends Pablo Chilito and Lucas Muñeton formed a production collective, NoiseNoise in April 2016. Though the collective stopped producing in mid-2019, Chilito and Muñeton decided to celebrate their fourth anniversary through a four-day festival, which has now developed in the form of a virtual lineup of curated local talent.

“Though we couldn’t do it on stage, we’re excited to open doors to these new names. People are home, they can tune in, they have time,” said Chilito.

Chilito added that the silver lining of hosting a virtual event is that there are no physical boundaries. Musicians who are currently outside of Bogotá, including those from Medellín, Mexico, and Chile, are participating.

The full line up is José Vitola, Tobogán Andaluz, Pavlo, Ahtu y los animles sueltos, Babelgam, El cómodo silencio de los que hablan poco, 100 años de monstruos, Bella Álvarez, Encarta 98, Viaje del Héroe, Las de Hiroshima, Los Viles, EV, Prehistoricos, and some surprise acts.

“Our focus is to create space and form audiences, to really open doors and highlight unknown artists. Our purpose has always been to convince people that just because they don’t know an artist doesn’t mean they’re not worth seeing,” said Chilito.

Film

Since its opening, Bogotá’s Cinemateca has been extremely popular, offering cinephiles excellent programming. It isn’t letting up during la cuarentena. Here’s how your inner movie buff can stay connected to the city’s cinematic epicentre through a range of virtual offerings. 

• Cine Latinoamericano or Latin American film: A selection of two Chilean films available for streaming on Vimeo via the Cinemateca’s website: El viento sabe que vuelvo a casa and De jueves a domingo

• Launching the online course “Ciudad y cine Colombiano” or City and Colombian Cinema. Registration is open until April 5th and is open to all, both Colombians and non-citizens, who are interested in the topic.

• A range of virtual workshops, lectures, and live streams, including local short films.

Keep tabs on the Cinemateca’s website for up-to-date calendar updates as they expand their offerings throughout the quarantine. 

Classical Music

Colombia’s national symphony orchestra, the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia released a video on Monday with “un obsequio para el mundo,” a “gift to the world.” Each symphony musician individually recorded their part of the piece from home using mobile phones. Director Olivier Grangean is featured in the film conducting the piece, Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations, IX Nimrod, as if he were in front of the full orchestra.

The video is accompanied by a brief caption including these simple comforting words: “Music will always be with you.” 
The city’s philharmonic orchestra, the Orchestra Filarmónica de Bogotá is making virtual concerts available to the public. Its first, which took place on March 27, was a Bach concerto by the organization’s youth chamber music group. The professional orchestra also recorded a virtual performance of “Colombia, tierra querida.”

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On the second floor of a brutalist exhibition space in La Candelaría, viewers enter a small art market. Abstract works dot the space: two pipes in the form of a swastika, pieces of clay piled on pedestals, a looped video displaying workers on a mountain. Mercado libre, an intervention in Espacio Odeón, plays with the viewer’s expectations of an art market and the monetary exchanges that take place in the world of high art. 

Mercado libre is part of a six-week-long exhibition, Que no cunda el pánico (¿hay otras maneras?) or Don’t spread the panic (are there other ways?), on show until February 29. The show contains works by 23 participating artists, combining temporary installations with daily public programming, shows, laboratories, and actions. It uses Espacio Odeón’s refurbished theatrical building and outdoor garden to showcase its projects. The show centres on collaboration and contribution amongst various groups of artists. 

What to do in Bogotá?

The exhibition presents the conundrum of artistic freedom and reliance on funding. Its overall statement articulates the central issue of cultural venues, commenting, “In general, spaces like Odeón sustain themselves through the intake of public grants and private resources. This means that in one way or another we are obligated to respond to a rhetoric of effectiveness and productivity, one that ultimately generates a competitive and individualistic cultural sector that has to adhere to meritocracy to access state resources or be ‘sellable’ to obtain private support.” With the question of art funding and productivity in mind, each project contemplates the process of art creation and puts experimental works on display. 

La Calle No Calla or The Street Does Not Shut Up, a collective photography exhibition, is on view until March 14 at OjoRojo Fábrica Visual in La Macarena. The gallery has compiled photographs, video, and print work from thirty artists, who highlight distinct moments of the paro nacional. The collection contains striking images of events recently experienced by the population of Bogotá, and it combines documentation with emotional scenes of individuals taking to the streets. In several images, photographers showcase violence by ESMAD and police forces against protesters: a screaming individual is held to the ground, surrounded by police, an ESMAD officer grabs a protester by the back of his neck, an ESMAD tank shoots tear gas directly at a single person.  

Other featured photographers grasp the scale of the protests during various days of the paro. In one image, dozens of women gather at Parkway to perform un violador en tu camino. The viral performance routine, which originated with Chilean feminist group Las Tesis, features blindfolded women chanting and dancing in a denouncement of gender violence. The exhibition’s sole video installation assembles a timeline of the paro, capturing footage from each day’s protests. La Calle No Calla captures the overwhelming multiplicity of the strikes. Bringing together perspectives from different days, neighbourhoods, groups, and actions, the exhibition gives Bogotá residents a chance to reflect on the significance of the paro. 

In San Felipe, two galleries will be presenting solo shows by Colombian photographers. On February 13, Galería Beta inaugurates the first solo show of Andrés Bermúdez, a Bogotá-based photographer whose work is inspired by cinematic imagery. Utilising light and landscape, Bermúdez will present several works from sites outside of Colombia. His images of vast beaches, filled with sunlight, tourists, and the contrasting blues of the water and the sky, are at the centre of the exhibit. The inauguration coincides with Noche de San Felipe, in which 19 cultural spaces in Barrio San Felipe will open their doors to the public from 6 to 10 pm. 

Starting February 27, Bandy Bandy Galería will showcase an archive of photography by Federico Rios Escobar. The New York Times-featured photographer has been recognised internationally for his work documenting FARC in rural and coastal Colombia. Los Días Póstumos De Una Guerra Sin Final or The Posthumous Days of An Endless War brings viewers into FARC camps in Chocó during the negotiation of the 2016 Peace Agreement. Rios’ work has allowed international audiences a rare glimpse of the daily routines of FARC combatants. Subjects interact with local rural residents, cook a pig in the jungle, and dance together in the evening. The solo show at Bandy Bandy presents a decade of Rios’ work and will be on until April 9. 

• Que no cunda el pánico (¿hay otras maneras?) will be on show at Espacio Odeón until February 29 (Carrera 5 #12C-73)
• La Calle No Calla will be on show at OjoRojo Fábrica Visual until March 14 (Carrera 5 #26C-62)
• Andrés Bermúdez’s first solo show opens at Galería Beta on February 13 (Calle 75A # 20C-52) and is on view until March 12 
• Los Días Póstumos De Una Guerra Sin Final will show at Bandy Bandy Galería February 27 to April 9 (Carrera 22 #75A-06)

The post Art whispers: This month’s Bogotá Gallery Round-Up appeared first on The Bogotá Post.

Tucked away behind the shirt shops of quinta and a stone’s throw from Universidades station is art gallery Street Lynx. It’s a hot Saturday afternoon when I call by for our interview, conducted in the gallery itself. The atmosphere is convivial and my dogs are welcomed too. The walls are liberally plastered with art, a veritable smorgasbord of images glaring down at us as we settle down for the talk. No minimalism here, that’s for sure.

Their hot February show features Santiago Oliveros, a largely self-taught artist who goes by the name Sako Asko. He’s young and open-minded, keen to avoid cliché. Working in a pop-art style and heavily influenced by comic book imagery, the work is colourful and bright, with bold Colombian colours splashed liberally around. However, the themes within are often dark and hint at depths concealed below the bright colours.

“It doesn’t have a great connection with what is called Colombian art,” he explains. “But equally, the palettes of colour that I use are related to the old bus placards, colours that are common in the tropical culture of Colombia.” A lot of it references the absurdity of modern life – dummies on cell phones, for example. Are you suckling the news right now on your cell phone?

While the colours come from Colombia, more international influences are evident in the forms he uses. “Aesthetically, I’m interested in American comics, instruction manuals and leaflets, signs. Also mythology.” It’s a wide-ranging collection of interests, but for Sako, “The line connecting it all is self-observation. The central theme of the work is the window, which is a metaphor for perception. When you observe from a window, you interpret the landscape, your perceptions of what is there.”

Urban art isn’t confined to galleries

Like many other urban artists, he hasn’t always worked in traditional gallery spaces like Street Lynx. “At 16, 17 years of age, I was doing graffiti, and I still paint sometimes in the street. In fact, tomorrow we’ll be making a mural close to here.”

Sako claims that, “My biggest inspirations are my experiences in life, of the people in my life like friends and family. I’m interested in themes like psychology, psychoanalysis, mental illness.” That’s evident in the piece he says is his favourite: a baby, entangled in its own umbilical cord. It carries a haunting quality as well as an arresting visceral image. “It’s similar to how we are with family,” he says.

He’ll also be releasing a compilation of images featuring his character el viajero later this year. “He’s someone that has gone down well with fans when I’ve put those images online, they’ve always been segments of a story, and now I want to collect them together”

Colombia graffiti artist Ecks marks the spot

Gallery manager Lorenzo Masnah explains that the gallery is designed to showcase young artists rather than the more conservative choices to be found in other city galleries.

The gallery reflects its surroundings, vibrant and relentlessly urban. As the Candelaria chaos swirls about outside, some of that frenetic energy is captured in the art visible on the walls.

It’s affordable art as well – with smaller pieces going as low as COP$50,000. This makes it work that is genuinely accessible, which reinforces the connection between artistic community and collectors. Despite this, Lorenzo says that foreign buyers represent a large proportion of their sales.

To put that price tag into perspective, even prints from someone like Banksy will set you back thousands of pounds. Sako says, “We say that with regards to the prints, it’s a product that’s accessible to everyone.”

Street Lynx gallery is at Calle 18 #4-92 and the exhibition runs from Saturday, February 8 until March 2. The gallery is open Tues-Sat, 11am-6pm. Or follow the gallery on instagram.

The post Sako Asko: A window into your soul appeared first on The Bogotá Post.