Doubtful Strait
1.12.06 / 15.02.07
COSTA RICA
More information on event and travel possibilities:
www.estrechodudoso.com
estrechodudoso@gmail.com
But the strait was of land
And not of water
Ernesto Cardenal
A visual arts event in Costa Rica organized by TEOR/éTica, art thought
Estrecho Dudoso – Doubtful Strait is a visual arts event organized by TEOR/éTica, and will take place in several venues, both institutions and public spaces of San José and Alajuela, in Costa Rica. After almost seven years of intense work in the research and dissemination of contemporary regional artistic practices TEOR/éTica is presenting this large-scale event with the participation of over 70 artists of 28 countries.
Doubtful Strait is dedicated to the memory of Guatemalan artist Margarita Azurdia (1931-1998) who was a precursor of the contemporary practices in Central America, and Juan Downey (Chile 1940-1993), one of the initial voices in videoart, and one of the most original. Each artist will have a retrospective, opening November 30th 2006 at the Calderón Guardia Historical Museum and the National Museum, both in San José.
The event is structured through four interconnected shows opening December 1st and 2nd , 2006:
Intangible routes – Contemporary Art Museum & TEOR/éTica: Marina Abramovic, Waltercio Caldas, Sandra Cinto, Tony Cruz, Carlos Garaicoa, Gego, Paola González, Bonhnchang Koo, Aníbal López, Christine Mackey, Marco Maggi, Oscar Muñoz, Luis Roldán, Graciela Sacco, Fred Sandback, Jesús Soto y Massimo Uberti.
Limits – Contemporary Art Museum & Costa Rican Art Museum: Lida Abdul, Patricia Belli, Héctor Burke, Rolando Castellón, Donna Conlon & Jonathan Harker, Regina Galindo, Mónica Girón, Shilpa Gupta, Federico Herrro, Ernesto Leal, Leiva, Teresa Margolles, Pricilla Monge, Antoni Muntadas, Luis Paredes, Liliana Porter, Jhafis Quintero, María Montero & José Díaz, Lázaro Saavedra, Ernesto Salmerón, Cinthya Soto, Javier Téllez, Adán Vallecillo.
News from the filibuster – National Museum, MUFES & Juan Santamaría Historical Museum, Alajuela: Adrián Arguedas, Moisés Barrios, Tania Bruguera, Enrique Castro Ríos, Eduardo Chang, Leonardo González, Lucía Madriz, Nadia Mendoza, Carlos Motta, Hugo Ochoa, Rafael Ottón Solís, Emilia Prieto, Raúl Quintanilla, Joaquín Rodríguez del Paso, Marta Eugenia Valle, Humberto Vélez, Alicia Zamora.
Traffics – urban context, streets and public spaces, Central Park & Museums of the Central Bank: Antoni Abad, Bijari, José Campos, Carolina Caycedo, María Adela Díaz, Andrés Fernández, Fernell Franco, Full Dollar, Grandmaster, Rogelio López Cuenca, Luis ó Miguel, M777, Mohamadou N´Doye, Bubu Negrón, Juan Ignacio Salom, Roberto Stephenson, Tercerunquinto, Jürgen Ureña, Dany Zavaleta.
Curators: Virginia Pérez-Ratton and Tamara Díaz Bringas, TEOR/éTica
Organized within the celebrations of the Declaration of San José as the Iberoamerican Capital of Culture 2006, this event also considers as one of its themes the 150th anniversary of the military campaign of 1856 which ended with the expulsion of American filibuster William Walker from Central America. The Minister of Culture has declared it a Cultural Interest Project and it includes the participation of six museums and several public spaces in the city. The project has the logistic support of the Mayor of San José.
The title of this event refers to the denomination of Doubtful Strait that the Spanish Conquistadors used to refer to the Central American isthmus, as they could not find the strait they were looking for in order to attain the Spice Islands. This event, wishes to pick up (and revert) the misunderstanding, the gap in relation to the expectations of the other. But above all, it is about re-inserting that doubt in the present context, of a region that might continue to be doubtful, but in any case, that continues to doubt. This event, while engaging in an international scope, does however stem from a strong feeling of belonging and reflection on Place, and on where each one locates himself. With the recent globalization processes and the growing flux of people, information, cultures, it would seem the world has become narrower, more connected, closer. However, this strait would also be doubtful inasmuch as these global processes have been accompanied by an increase in the physical and symbolic limits, a proliferation of security systems as web as control and surveillance instruments.
This event is interested in strengthening the relations between artists and proposals. At a time when diversity is one of the main topics behind so many projects, our desire is more to work within the common aspects that can be shared within this diversity, so that this may contribute to a larger and better understanding of artistic practices in distant points of the world. This project also seeks to create an atmosphere of contemplation and enjoyment of art, however anchored in a deep thought generated by critical work, articulated through a dialogue between works.
Doubtful Strait will take place in Costa Rica from December 1st 2006 to February 18th 2007
This project is possible through the generous support of HIVOS (Netherlands) and the Ford Foundation (New York/Mexico). The catalogue will be published thanks to the support of the Getty Foundation (Los Angeles).
More information on event and travel possibilities: www.estrechodudoso.com / estrechodudoso@gmail.com
