Restless image 2017 by Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo

Restless Image 2017

ultra_Contaminated

700.74 R436r Restless image 2017 : ultra_contaminate [recurso electrónico / prólogo Daniel Soto Morúa, Fiorella Resentera Quirós, Willy Kautz ; traducción Natasha Mclver, Patricia Fernández Bustamante ; fotografías Adriana Artavia Vindas. -- Primera edición . -- San José, Costa Rica : Museo de Arte y Diseño Contempóraneo, 2018. 1 recurso en línea (38 páginas) : pdf ; 22.9 Mb. 1.

ISBN 978-9930-9667-2-3 Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo – Exposiciones. 2. Arte – Exposiciones. I. Soto Morúa, Daniel, autor (a) de prólogo. II. Resentera Quirós, Fiorella, autor(a) de prólogo. III. Kautz, Willy, autor(a) de prólogo. IV. Mclver, Natasha, traductor(a). V. Fernández Bustamante, Patricia, traductor(a). VI. Artavia Vindas, Adriana, fotográfo(a). VII. Título. SINABI/UT

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This publication was made for Restless Image 2017 ultra_Contaminated (Inquieta Imagen 2017 ultra_Contaminados), collective exhibition exhibited in rooms 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MADC); San José, Costa Rica, from November 17, 2017 to February 17, 2018. 2

INDEX 4 6 8 10 14 16 26 34 36 38

FROM APPEASSEMENT TO INVENTION THE JURY THE RESTLESS FORMAT OF RESTLESS IMAGE ULTRA_CONTAMINATED MINUTES OF THE JURY SELECTED AWARD AND MENTIONS TIMELINE WHAT IS NOT MEASURED DOESNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T EXIST THE EVENT

FROM APPEASSEMENT TO INVENTION The Initial Goal

selected works were taken into account) a certain laziness of mind and profiteering from repetitive constructions, as well as an excess in references adapted to the competition was perceived. Similarly, part of the requirements for participants on different editions, consisted of a short text about the work; these have often been used as an excuse rather than a solid input to the proposal.

The Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MADC) summoned the First Central American Video Creation Competition “Inquieta Imagen” (Restless Image) in 2002; three consecutive art, design and technology exhibitions (DIS.arT.Tec) preceded it and which had the exhibition “Contaminated (Ex) Currents of the Audiovisual” as their immediate prelude. The project was born as an attempt to expand the scope of awareness of the production of digital art and video creation in Central America and boost its experimentation processes with new media. Since then, and until 2017, the same goal has prevailed, with the addition of only some nuances and upgrades.

Therefore, continuing to engage every two years in a contest focused on a “technique,” is no longer relevant; Inquieta Imagen has fulfilled its mission and completed its cycle. When founded, encouraging artists into experimenting with new technologies seemed important. In the present context, most of the technology which used to be out of reach for most, is practically of popular access nowadays. The format that promoted the use of new technologies, so timely fifteen years ago, seems excluding today. Technology becomes obsolete so quickly, new generations assume this swift expiration as an everyday event. What is taking place here, happened already with painting contests– and is also happening in some biennials- they became outdated. We have reached a time when all languages coexist, and merge, and experimentation can take place in any media.

Technologies and Languages

After eight editions and fifteen years of putting together “Inquieta Imagen”, the regional and local contexts have gone through important transformations. The “new technologies” became an everyday language,” comfort zones and common places for most artists, who, in turn, choose not to pick a single production media, but rather, browse and permeate amidst them. Digital and audiovisual art are no longer techniques to be learned; they are inherently tied up to the contents. In its beginnings, the crossover between technical experimentation and technological languages being used as a prop was evident; some proposals gradually started to manifest this contribution as input to the contents of their works.

I believe that when Inquieta Imagen was proposed, the call to launch it as a contest; that featured international juries (most of them disconnected with regional events, especially in the beginning) and the creation of awards in an initial phase, was wise. However, over the years, new requirements came up; above all, the need for the finished product to offer more than just a selection of pieces, but that the works on display would be coherent and spawn substance and statements. In many cases the robustness of the exhibit relied exclusively on the individual quality of each work, without establishing links among them. But why not maximize the interactions of contents further? How to achieve a meaningful dialogue between them?

Over the years and under MADC’s observation, it has been possible to confirm that many of the artists involved in Inquieta Imagen, used experimentation as a ticket to gain access into a competition; they subsequently returned to their usual languages after the contest. Therefore, experimentation with technologies transitioned from a purpose into a means for attaining an award. Technology has leaped forward and is increasingly more accessible; however, this dynamism and the vortex it creates, is unmatched in the conceptual proposals and content development of the participating submissions. After reviewing past editions (when selected and non-

It is difficult to work from curatorial lines under a contest format. In terms of proposal of contents it’s not much what the Museum can contribute if only the results of a

• What model? The construction of a hybrid format

selection are displayed. However, if instead of grouping chosen pieces from a contest, an ensemble could be constructed from a curatorial argument? The mediation processes would possibly gain importance against the prominence of competition for results. The contest’s model of rewarding proposals and individualities is, to the curatorial model of collective exhibits, what would mediate with the artists while empowering the sense of community.

blending the model of convocation with curatorial visions; the interaction between participants and platforms for feedback and the exchange of knowledge. Learning from the experiences of others, as well as studying theoretical considerations and discussions emerging at biennials and other platforms should be important in this process.

• Periodicity can’t imply inertia of the structure; this

skeleton must be consciously and objectively dismembered to avoid being pigeonholed by archaic and nineteenth century standards. If the ideal is to showcase the “vanguard” this model should be able to translate to the speed of “new technologies” or languages; ongoing reviews.

Innovative Formats

After so many years, the need for innovation is foreseeable, first in the format of promotion, to be able to later foster inventiveness in art production processes afterwards. And this is not only a perception by the Museum, but a global trend which is at the center of analysis and criticism at multiple levels; also the biennials and international contests elicit the same reflections. A more flexible and dynamic platform is unavoidable.

• Inquieta Imagen was to MADC the language of a contemporaneity, now behaving as a record and fundamental archive to understand the present times. The entire documentation and its memory system must also learn to adapt and remain up to date.

Learning to make reasoned closures, cautious and pertinent, sound and worthy is essential; it is, without a doubt, the best way of closing what has been good for a period and not so adequate for another. Having exceedingly fulfilled the objectives for which it was created, Inquieta Imagen shall evolve towards a different format so it can fulfill the regional production needs, both nascent and experimental; a space not necessarily linked to a specific language but serving as regional thermometer.

• What period of time and periodicity is optimal to assertively monitor the present? No structure aspiring to resemble our time can be too solid; it should be characterized by a sort of liquid, mutable concoction capable of assuming reinvention as a continuum.

Quiet, tranquility and serenity. But the image shall remain restless….

In the balance of what would be positive to keep, some elements such as periodicity are valuable since it enables testing alternative models where selfreflection may nourish each new edition with lessons and innovations.

The Challenges

This Museum owns the duty of monitoring the present and with the resulting substance, learn how to go beyond, learn how to change, adapt and design proposals for the future. In this sense I believe some of our main challenges concerning what Inquieta Imagen is going to be should be thought as:

Fiorella Resenterra MADC Director San José, November 2017

El Jurado

Fiorella Resenterra (Costa Rica) guest curator for the portfolios review in San José, Costa Rica; of PhotoEspaña 2012, GuatePhoto, Guatemala, 2014 and jury at the First Photo Contest “Iber-American Glances” organized by IBER-RUTAS Iber-American Programme (2013); Jury for the catwalks of Universidad Creativa (2010, 2013 y 2015) and the Mercedes Benz Fashion Show San José (2014) and co-curator for the Costa Rica Pavilion at the 55th Venice Biennial (2013).

Is the director of the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MADC) of Costa Rica as of 2009. Studied Graphic Design at the University of Costa Rica; later transferred to Spain where she did a professional (EFTI) course, Photography and Imaging Technicians in Madrid; a Masters in Digital Graphic Design and a post-graduate in Museums and Education, both at the University of Barcelona. She also participated in an intensive course in museology of the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka, Japan.

Daniel Soto Morúa (Costa Rica)

From 1992 to 1998 she was a teacher at the Costa Rican Art Museum; subsequently as museographer between 2003 and 2004. She also worked as exhibitions designer with the Collections Committee of the University of Costa Rica; she then moved to the Cultural Extension office as consultant for Regional Museums. She was in charge of TEOR/éTica’s communications and exchange of publications in 2006 and during the last months of that period was in charge of its collection and related activities.

Is chief curator with the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MADC) of Costa Rica since 2016, where his work focuses in the development of new design, visual arts, and communication programs; is an official member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM Costa Rica) and has worked on different design, and marketing sites and centers of contemporary and ethnographic art, as the Regional Museum of San Ramón (2012-2015) and the Jacob Karpio Gallery (20052006); he carried out museology practices at the District Museum Velezano José Guirao (Spain, 2012); has acted as jury for the National Visual Arts Awards of the Ministry of Culture and Youth of Costa Rica (2015) and for YES Artist project grant of El Salvador (2018). Has also been guest curator for the portfolios review of YES Online Studio Visit of El Salvador (2018).

Has acted as jury for the I and II Edition of PROArtes (2007-08) and (2008-09); National Visual Arts Awards of the Ministry of Culture and Youth of Costa Rica (2008); V National Visual Arts Contest (2009), Panama and the IDEARTE 2011 Auction, Honduras. Has also been

tónicos Projects, Tamayo Contemporary Art Museum (2003); Mira Schendel. Continuum amorphous, Tamayo Contemporary Art Museum (2004); I use perfume to take up more space, Carrillo Gil Museum (2009); Poor Rich Artist. The aesthetical value in transaction, Casa del Lago (2012); Tropicalia Negra, El Eco Experimental Museum (2013); José Luis Sánchez Rull, Radioactive Cemetery. Humans kill, the flesh speaks!, El Chopo University Museum (2014); Gabriel de la Mora. What we see looks back at us, Amparo Museum (2014-2015).

Has a Masters of Museology by the University of Granada, Spain; graduate of Graphic Design by the University of Costa Rica, institution where he taught (2008-2015) for the career of Graphic Design, offering courses and theoretic and practical workshops on cultural heritage and visual arts. Has a Masters in Communication Media Management with an emphasis on ICT by the State Distance University where he teaches for the Business Administration Masters (2012-present). In both educational centers he has been director and reader of final papers for graduation at the graduate and postgraduate levels.

Willy Kautz (Brasil - México) Is curator of contemporary art in Mexico and currently works as art director of the FEMSA Biennial. Acted as chief curator for the Tamayo Museum (2012-2013), period when he performed the exhibitions: There are more routes than ours; Matt Mullican: That World/Ese mundo and Eric Beltrán. Atlas Eidolon. Was headmaster of visual arts and curator at La Casa del Lago Juan José Arreola (2010-2011), coordinator and curator of Casa Vecina (2010) and associate curator of the Tamayo Museum (2001-2005). Among his main exhibitions: Quasi-corpus. Concrete and Neo-concrete art in Brazil, Tamayo Contemporary Art Museum (2002); Gordon Matta-Clark: Anarquitec-

The Restless Format of Restless Image the need to disregard prioritisation, which is problematic under the conditions of competitiveness intrinsic to contests. Whilst (ii) has fulfilled the mission of stimulating and raising awareness of the audiovisual production in the region, today we must question the relevance of this format in relation to recent artistic practices.

This review of the history of the Restless Image (ii) contest encourages visitors to reflect on the current relevance of the formats of the contest. This exhibition therefore aims to put on view not only the prizes, mentions and selected works, but also the challenges and curatorial difficulties encountered in the selection and assessment processes that have been revealed over the course of the different contests.

The journey through the discourses that (ii) has generated weaves a narrative that reveals the latency of curatorship, in concepts that begin with terms such as video art, then video-creation , expanding its links with other media and notions such as the digital, or, "practices that use technological elements as media". Likewise, the insistence on words such as experimentation and exhibition formats allow one to sense the potential need of the curatorial contextualisation that, in many cases, is hidden behind the evaluation criteria established by the jury of each edition.

The review of the publications, documents and works selected over the years that clearly reference the mission of (ii) reveal the initial objectives - and their development- as well as the selection criteria and museographical display of each edition, to the extent that, over the years, it has become possible to take a step back to diagnose the successes, but also the inadequacies of this format derived from the salons of the 19th century. The text of its first edition made it clear how the contest sought to create spaces for new expressions, as well as supplying the museum with technological equipment ad hoc with its museographical and curatorial needs; a field of practice and museological theory that has advanced considerably in recent decades.

In this deployment of the (ii) archive, it is clear how the contest arises from the need to stimulate an incipient scene, but that today this context has taken on other dimensions. On the other hand, it is also evident how the need for a curatorship also intensifies in each edition, to the extent that it could be questioned whether the contest continues to be the appropriate format for exercising this new discursive articulation with respect to current production.

However, today we need to reflect on whether both the creation and the contextualising curatorial framework can continue to operate under the same criteria of selection, awards and montage of group exhibitions that, paradoxically, emphasise individualities. In this respect it is a well-known fact that, worldwide, as curatorial practices have advanced in recent years, the model of competitions derived from "the salons" have been replaced by platforms that allow for the movement of new forms of research and artistic production.

Therefore, this review forces the discussion on the relevance of the format itself, which gives rise to the questioning of what kind of exhibition models would be adequate to account for recent changes in the link between art and technology in the region. Is that still the issue of interest or has it taken second place? If this contest attempted to encourage the use of new technologies for the creation of the restless image, that is, the moving image, what should the framework of relevant reflection at the regional level be today for discussing the images that concern us? As can be seen in the different minutes of the jury, media technology exceeded the contest's scope of assessment, to the extent that, in recent editions, the jury has shown the need for more rigorous resources to assess the proposals. This leads us to think about what museum formats will allow for a deeper understanding

The quotes that are underlined throughout this exhibition serve as a guide for understanding how the contest has intrinsically constituted a narrative that reveals the complications of articulating a curatorial discourse through the mechanism of the contest, once the proposals, in expository terms, tend to compete with each other. In this sense, the criterion of a level playing field granted to the prizes in some editions is a reliable indicator of

of the use of images beyond technological progress, to contextualise artistic practices that are increasingly demanding in terms of research. These and other questions can serve as support when the aim is to analyse the relevance of an assessment and exhibition format with respect to current artistic practices. It is clear how the various texts and minutes of the juries testify that (ii) has fulfilled its purpose of stimulating the use of technological and digital tools, to the extent that its mission has been fully consolidated. It is also evident that the articulation of a discourse based on the medial definition has been exceeded in these acts. Thus, what started out as a video art competition quickly expanded into the post-media relation of the image, which has as its core the use of technology in its diverse applications and developments. We therefore now reflect on what museological formats can continue to stimulate the production and circulation of unsettling images resulting from recent practices. Willy Kautz Guest Curator Mexico City, June 2017

ultra_Contaminated DIS.arT.Tec. A Specific Precedent

ultraFrom the Latin ultra-. 1. prefix It means 'beyond', 'on the other side of'. 2. prefix It means 'extremely'.

The MADC, which was founded in 1994, is "an open and diverse space". In order to fulfill this ambitious idea, over time it has disseminated and promoted the latest and most dynamic trends of the contemporary scene within the Central American region, as well as its links with the Latin American and international scenes.

contaminated From the Latin contaminÄ re. 1. v. Harmfully altering the purity or normal conditions of a thing or a medium by chemical or physical agents. 2. v. To infect or transmit something to someone. 3. v. Alter the form of a word or text by influence of another.

Along these latter lines, between 1999 and 2003 five exhibitions entitled DIS.arT.Tec were held, combining design, art and technology. The first of these included pieces ranging "from a slope to a futuristic car, with works that had different uses, resulting from the inventiveness not only of internationally recognised designers, but also of others working incognito developing new proposals" (Barahona in MADC, n.d., p.3).

Contaminated. (Ex)Tensions of the Audiovisual was the title of the first international video creation exhibition in Central America, organised by the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MADC) in 2002. It was devoted exclusively "to what has become known since the sixties as 'video art'; expanding its limits - on the other hand - to video-performance, video-dance, video-installation, interactive works on computers, video-mails, etc.; and, in addition, becoming 'contaminated' by other more conventional pictorial, photographic or sculptural artistic expressions" as described by its curators, Ernesto Calvo and Rolando Barahona-Sotela.

Although the mood at that time was focused on the ambiguous and sometimes fine line between art and design, its hybridisation was justified by the technological link. Thus, the content of the shows was made up of design pieces viewed from the perspective of contemplation, aestheticism, functionality and daily use in the society that witnessed the birth of the 21st century.

Furthermore, the concept referred to the "dissimilar geographical areas" the participating artists came from and the mix, proposed by the curators, of established artists and young creators working in the field of video-art. This exhibition included those awarded prizes and mentions in the first Inquieta Imagen (Restless Image) contest (ii_02).

These exhibitions constituted "a space open to the exploration and dissemination of the persuasive ideas, values and attitudes emerging from the socio-economic, political, technological and cultural contexts that foster the rapidly evolving human creative capacity, initiated by the Industrial Revolution and mechanisation" (Barahona in MADC, n.d., p.2). Thus, the first two editions of (ii) were carried out concurrently with DIS.arT.Tec, as a risk taken by the visual arts based on technological progress.

(ii_17) reflects on the past and, evoking that title, transfers it to the present as a way of demonstrating, not only from the point of view of the vocabulary, but also of the technological and traditional resources and the artist's intention, the evolution of the contest in its fifteen years of existence. ultra_Contaminated highlights the fact that contemporary art surpasses techniques, and that the artist's ability to develop proposals is linked to the conceptual and critical ingenuity of their reality.

Video Creation, a Budding Protagonist Evolution is understood as the series of continuous transformations experienced by nature and the beings that constitute it. With this in mind, Restless Image (ii) has evolved in its scope (regional/international impact, format and vocabularies); and has seen the production of Central

aspect that marked a turning point in the contest.

American and Caribbean artists mapped out and researched. Some have consolidated their careers, others continue to grow and others have changed their career path.

In 2005 (fourth edition) it was necessary to rethink the event by expanding the selection criteria for works, due to the accelerated technological progress that marked the beginning of the new millennium, which is why it included digital art (digital photography, videogames, interactive works with different media and net.art) in addition to video creation. On the other hand, the results of the contest revealed a strengthening of the content and expressive resources of the selected works, that is, "a synchronicity between technical, formal or narrative solutions and the way of articulating them" (Calvo in MADC, 2005, p.7), aspects that were reflected in a marked emphasis on the local and in the recurrent problems within the Central American region.

(ii) was a pioneering initiative at a time when Central America was attempting to understand and construct itself as a unit; a very narrow one from a geographical point of view, but dissimilar in its realities and contexts. The Competition sought to promote video creation in the region, although it perhaps also opened up possibilities in an accessible way and that was willing to experiment with new techniques, media and vocabularies.

Concerns in the History of a Contest In 2002, the first edition was accompanied by the exhibition Contaminated (Ex) Tensions of the audiovisual invited established and young artists who were exploring video creation. As an alternative programme, Spaces for Experimentation I was presented at the Video Library, showcasing cinema classics and contemporary videos, and offering material that at the time was not easily accessible.

The fifth edition in 2007 had a new and unique twist; the contest was presented as an Ibero-American biennial, a decision that was decisive for the jury to assess the proposals from the criteria of cultural interest rather than specifically artistic ones, also pointing out the potential social impact that each represented. The Mono Canal Programme was repeated once again.

The second edition (2003) was accompanied by the Mono Canal Programme, a set of nine works selected by the jury, with the aim of making the best of the resources and the quality of the material presented. Likewise, Spaces for Experimentation II, accompanied the programme A Brief History of Video Art in The Netherlands, provided by the Gate Foundation to commemorate the first 30 years of video art in that country.

After an almost four-year absence, the sixth edition of the contest took place in 2011, with an important respite in the generation of artists, who not only experienced the visual arts from a different angle, but also saw technology as something natural and their own. In addition to the interval, this generation appreciated the format of the contest in a different way to how it was done at the beginning of the new millennium; now, the fact that they would be exhibiting at the Museum seemed more important than venturing into a "new medium".

The passing of the years revealed the enthusiasm for audiovisual production in the region and the development of proposals that set their sights on the global and the local, addressing issues of Central American daily life: violence, conflicts, historical memory, Third-Worldism, contemporary society, cultural and gender identity, migration, etc. In 2004 (third edition) the Mono Canal Programme was also presented, as was Spaces for Experimentation III; however, the jury warned of the lack of thematic and conceptual substance in the works, an

Furthermore, the jury pointed out that "the increase in knowledge regarding the technical possibilities digital media offer does not necessarily translate into an increase in a creative and reflective attitude that opts for exploration and experimentation " (Castillo, Mariategui & Monge in MADC, 2011, p.15); an aspect that was not only reflected that year, but has perhaps been a constant throughout all

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Novelty can also be a passing trend, which would become obsolete in a short time in relation to technological progress" (Araujo, Garza-Usabiaga & Chavarria, 2013, p.14). The contest has witnessed many techniques and artistic expressions with video creation as the original pretext; traditional vocabularies as a mix of media, board games, collage, art-objects, sculpture and interactive objects; those that marked the beginnings of contemporary art as performance and its recording, photo performance and video performance, installation, video and documentary records, video installation, video documentation and photographic projections; those that were categorised as new media such as sound, animation, video-animation and stop-motion, video games, digital books, digital printing, digital and lenticular photography and weblogs; and finally those that go hand in hand with the cutting-edge technology of the new millennium such as 3D vision devices and 3D modelling.

the calls for entry. Therefore, it is necessary, at present, to question the relevance of a contest based on technical exploration (whether or not linked to technology) and not on that which constitutes solid and consistent proposals grounded in the work of each artist. The seventh edition, held in 2013, once again marked the contest's biannual. Likewise, it was unique in that the more successful proposals moved away from the â&#x20AC;&#x153;initial spirit of making use of technology"(Araujo, Garza-Usabiaga & Chavarria, 2013, p.14), as pointed out by the jury in the corresponding minutes. On this occasion, the standard of the proposals was very inconsistent (experimentation vs substance); the jury highlighted the fact that "most of the proposals that reflected on new technologies are perhaps the weakest (...) they try to value novelty over content and leave aside reflection on the topics discussed" (idem).

It should be noted that although the contest has expanded - in almost every one of its calls for entry - the inclusion of new techniques and vocabularies, the prizes have been awarded mostly to video-projection and video installation works, but also to others such as animation, documentation, video games, video performances, etc. The passing years have confirmed that the protagonist has been video creation, linked to digital art and, to a lesser extent, to technology, but, at present, the challenge of the works lies in consolidating a consistent and innovative proposal, capable of being timeless and impacting the public as something more than an exercise in experimentation.

In 2015 (eighth edition) the jury reflected on the "Central American reality", noting that it is very different in each context, and the work is thus judged, to a certain extent, from the point of view of the critical discourse of each artist, but, at the same time, this responds to that particular spatiality, whether we like it or not. It is therefore worth questioning how the Central American perspective can contribute to global discussions? Is the geographical strait still doubtful? Is being Central American prescriptive in the contemporary art scene? Finally, the ninth edition (2017) was presented as a springboard for assessment and reflection, a curatorship that establishes dialogues between the most significant proposals from the first contest. This historiographical review allows us to not only look back to the past, but to rethink the vision of the future, to take on projects that satisfy the needs of the contemporary art scene.

The MADC, in accordance with its realm of competence, "will be projected into the future but in reference to the recent past where current artistic expressions are developed and announced." To break with the passivity and inertia, those involved in (ii_17) and what becomes of it, will have to face a new challenge. It is the art world that will demand and propose a handover through innovative proposals in spaces that, through experimentation, will agitate those visual devourers who haunt a world that is becoming increasingly uncertain.

New challenges Four milestones have, in a natural manner, marked the evolution of (ii): the widening of selection criteria in 2005, the generational change of artists and the urgent need for a curatorship in 2011 and, in 2013, the jury's comment that

Daniel Soto Morua Chief Curator, MADC

9th Inquieta Imagen (Restless Image) Visual Arts and Digital Experimentation Contest MINUTES OF THE JURY

manner that is consistent with the motif and the action.

Meeting in the city of San Jose, on 26 October, 2017, the curatorial team of the 9th Inquieta Imagen Visual Arts and Digital Experimentation Contest, made up of Willy Kautz (Mexico), Fiorella Resenterra (Costa Rica) and Daniel Soto Morua (Costa Rica) notes the following:

With regard to the above, certain observations were made in relation to the format of this contest: At times, the thematic choices of the proposals appeared relevant; however, the actions were contradictory in terms of conceptualisation, which undermined the coherence of the final product. On the other hand, it seemed that the topics' potential generated critical confidence in the artists, who limited themselves in the action or execution process, and, consequently, weak projects were detected due to a lack of in-depth research and experimentation, also devoid of coherence.

19 proposals were selected from the 157 that were submitted. One prize and two mentions were awarded. Moreover, 7 additional proposals were selected to be shown in the Monocanal Programme, included as part of this contest's exhibition. In total, 25 artists from 5 different countries (Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, El Salvador and Guatemala) have been selected to show their work.

Also worthy of note is how the foundational lynchpin of Inquieta Imagen - encouraging experimentation with new media - has fulfilled its purpose. The thematic framework related to technology is thus a pretext that has been surpassed by contemporary artistic production. It is clear that the Inquieta Imagen contest must redefine its objectives and mission, in such a way as to create a new link between this platform and the Museum's current interests with respect to the local and regional artistic community.

The current contest led to the decision to create a project that gave rise to a revisionist and discerning exhibition of its historiography. Rather than merely fulfilling the role of selecting the most noteworthy pieces, the Museum became a part of the curatorial team that discussed the proposals submitted, the problematics of the contest's format, the history of Inquieta Imagen as such, its impact and its local and regional significance, in addition to the relevance of its validity in the current context.

One aspect that has been identified, both in this and in previous calls for entries, is the difficulty in individually assessing to what extent each proposal is consistent with the line of work of each artist. As a result of these and further concerns, the curatorial process consisted of a historiographical review of the contest, the key milestones and their transformations since its creation in 2002.

The criteria used to select the proposals were based on three lynchpins allowing for an analytical approach that would avoid the interference of the personal and subjective judgments of the curatorial team. The following was established: 1. Theme and conceptualisation of the proposal: this refers to the thematic relevance within the current context and the call for entry, to the rationale and subsequent approach of individual artistic discourses and to the continuity of each artist with respect to her or his line of work. 2. Action: the artist's choice and ability to construct a scene, action or the appropriate medium with respect to the subject she or he wishes to explore. 3. How the project is finally executed: ability to exercise technical resources and/or vocabularies in a coherent

Therefore, conceiving a curatorial model based on an open call for entries results in a truncated and limited procedure that does not allow for in-depth research reflecting the artistic production within the region. Over the years, the need to change to other more current formats has been reflected, allowing not only for the selection of works by open call and the awarding of prizes, but also for a more direct link with the artistic community and the production of projects. Although this edition accepts the need that has been

Mentions - Esvin Alarcon (Guatemala). The Silk Route. Photography, 2017. By means of a single action he manages to link biographical content with a critical analysis of political, patrimonial and symbolic memory. The action itself is fuelled by an economy of resources based on archives that, through visual poetics and second-hand, low-cost mass-market products, narrates a story that creates a counterpoint.

evident since 2011 to introduce curatorial resources and work as a team, it became clear that the contest format contradicts these initiatives and becomes a problem of museum selection and programme. Therefore, we took on the task of carrying out a thorough review of the contest format, in so far as the curatorial approach was relevant and functional. It is important to mention that, based on the final review of proposals, the techniques and vocabularies found in the selection were video, installation, video installation, photography, gif, action, telephony, digital book and the use of social networks. On the other hand, the most noteworthy themes dealt with everyday life, violence, social insecurity, ideologies, ungovernability, collective imagery, power roles, politics, biopolitics, affective networks, historical memory, banana republics, identity, migration, landscape, the links between human beings and nature, language, the word/image relationship, the power of the statement and content fiction.

Andy Retana (Costa Rica). The Camera. Video, 2017. Ingeniously contributes a link between culture and popular imagination with current issues of the social exclusion of minorities. Thus, it plays with a direct analogy that unleashes multiple and complex readings of local and universal realities. Using humorous language and resolved in a straightforward manner, he appropriates images and mixes them with his own production in an articulated discourse, with which he achieves, finally, a coherent and resolute work.

Without intending to force the contest towards a curated show anchored in a theme, we opted to establish a dialogue between this historical overview and a selection of works articulated on the basis of analytical criteria, in order to accommodate a variety of proposals.

San Jose, 26 October, 2017 MADC

List of selected works: Prize - Alejandra Ramirez (Costa Rica). I can write anything about any image. Video, 2017. This project uses archival material to reflect on the concept of the image and its possible interpretations, and, through its narrative, engages the viewer in a reflexive complicity on the meaning of memory, image and word charge. In addition, it has the ability to make use of technical resources, the montage as a narrative and the mnemonic device as another variant within many possibilities of the artistic vocabulary.

Willy Kautz

Fiorella Resenterra

Daniel Soto MorĂşa

Seleccionados

Pável Aguilar (Honduras) Trazos (Outlines) Installation: laser-etched foil sheets and telephone recording 00:04:40 2017

Jorge Albán-Dobles (Costa Rica) Democracia (Democracy) Lenticular digital photography 2017

In Costa Rica, the Route 32 to Limón crosses the Braulio Carrillo National Park. Inaugurated in 1987 with 90-degrees slopes, is prone to landslides, and has not been renovated in 30 years despite being Costa Rica’s main artery of maritime commercial exchange with the world, and the cultural connection of the plateau with the Caribbean. This road has become a paradigm because of dysfunctionalities within Costa Rica’s democratic system, from the polemic closing of INCOFER in the nineties and consequent road overload, to the current crisis of ungovernability, preventing the execution of a project declared as national emergency.

The audio wavelines extracted from the conversation between Jorge and Jonathan, were recorded with laser on foil sheets, used as reinforcement of the suspended ceiling and collected from the Gutiérrez family house. Those were replaced thanks to the remittances Jorge sends from abroad.

This work builds up on the iconography of destruction of the 2,000 yellow posts installed to impede the encroachment of the Route 32 lanes, the highway has the country’s greatest number of trucks and deaths. Systematically run over by drivers, 31% of them could not endure their first year, although their expected life span was four years at least.

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Brothers Jonathan and Jorge Gutiérrez collaborated in this project; they have been apart for over 2 years because Jorge left to the United States, where he lives undocumented. Jorge and Jonathan were recorded while sharing a casual telephone conversation, of support and encouragement between brothers veiling for the health and safety of their family in Barrio Bella Vista de Comayagüela; located in one of the most conflictive areas with highest criminality and unemployment indexes of Honduras; likewise it’s characterized for the high rate of persons migrating undocumented to the United States.

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Darwin Andino (Honduras) Contrato social (Social Contract) Installation: binary code written on pottery over clay ceramic 2017

Marcela Araya (Costa Rica) Baños de color I (Color Baths I) Projection 2017

“The Sounds of Earth” is a gramophone disc made of gold traveling accompanied by Voyager space probes, launched in 1977 and which will take 40 thousand years to reach the proximity of the closest star beyond our solar system. It contains sounds and images portraying the diversity of life and culture on the Earth; recordings were selected by NASA and a committee presided by Carl Sagan.

This work interprets the landscape observing the environment’s architecture: The color on the walls of colonial buildings in Granada, Nicaragua, have both decorative and spatial limits uses; in Costa Rica we lack this kind of buildings. This proposal is based on the reflective study and interpretation of dynamics of xenophobia, which are part of the discourse of Costa Ricans’ notion about the Nicaraguans. The viewer shall receive Nicaraguan “color baths” while walking under the piece thus inviting him/her to meditate on the alleged superiority we have constructed regarding other Central Americans.

It is one of the most powerful gestures of our history due to the symbolic significance contained. Stemming from this, the artist reflects on the idea of displacement, of how history is told from language and the implications of a message for the construction of significances. Taking this disc as a point of departure, he records information using clay plates, which define us as a region; it raises topics on migration, politics and legislation, so that future generations can understand our present in case we become extinct. He uses clay as a resource evoking ancient Sumerian writing.

Adrián Arias (Costa Rica) Llamada perdida (Lost Call) Photography 2016

Adrian Flores (Costa Rica) Re-conocimiento sin conocimiento (Reconaissance without Knowledge) Instalation Meeting space (action) 2017 This piece starts through interaction with the public, under the premise that collectivity is built when “the other” is acknowledged, having yearnings and desires just as “ours.” By sending text messages the public interacts with the artist, to later transfer the information compiled in a printed book. The construction of text arises out of habit and curiosity, and the transition of the message to the printed book is at the same time a transition of the individuality, the “I” who responds overshadowed by technology, a community of individuals represented as a specific materiality. The mechanism is a trap, appealing to tradition, and serves to think of alternative, less alienating uses of information technologies, as a point of departure to think less in information networks and more in affective networks.

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This photographic series explores the city from the after-work experience. When “night rush hours” arrive, San José becomes a transfer city where most dwellers only depart, to come back the following day. When traveling these distances and exploring the same territories over and over again, the artist found invoking the photographic impulse itself as a solution, attempting to create an intimate dialogue with the spaces discovered in the ongoing observation.

Sara Mata (Costa Rica) Sé tú mismo (Be Yourself) Video 00:01:09 2017

Erno Hilarión (Costa Rica) Paisaje conquistado (Conquered Landscape) Installation: lamp, branch, sand and sound 00:04:25 2017

In the ongoing search to colonize -despite the consequences of impact and destruction- the need to go beyond our boundaries reaching the unknown, has emerged. Mars shall be the new neighborhood, but this implies the uncertainty of adapting.

From a paradoxical situation between natural and artificial, the artist explores the resignification of objects and their concepts. For her “something” may also mean “another thing,” so she draws out the “absoluteness” of an object and its concept, endowing it with another meaning. This points to terms such as authenticity, naturalness, staging and identity, and invites the viewer to observe the world from an ironical and playful perspective.

Concerned by the consequences of today’s culture and the uncertain future, we live towards the coming migration; the author digs into the everyday life until he finds one of the moss precious resources: the landscape. By using a utopic scenario he addresses the query of the existing human being/nature relationship and forces us to meditate on the big question, where we are heading to.

Johan Phillips (Costa Rica) Confites chupados (Sucked Candy) Video installation 00:02:52 2017

Darién Montañez (Panamá) Todo se me ha de volver (Everything Shall Come Back to Me) Video 00:05:10 2016

“Historia de un amor”(Love Story) is a classic of Hispanic romantic gender and is the Panamanian most recorded song in history. It has been interpreted hundreds of times by dozens of artists, from Pedro Infante and Lola Flores to Julio Iglesias and Cesária Évora, as well as enlivening countless serenades and karaokes.

This sculptor by training parodies his profession and mocks a style which has marked this field in our country, influenced by the European vanguard with a pronounced emphasis on the formal: wood, stone and marble pieces, quartz and onyx, polished, rounded and shiny, non-figurative vocation. Today, an important component of sculpture practitioners in Costa Rica is still attached to this paradigm.

The artist overlaps 32 of these versions, all carefully coordinated with the first appearance of the cinematographic piece interpreted by Libertad Lamarque in 1956, as climax of the Mexican movie by the same name. Verse by verse, a new performer joins the chorus, which ends not as a cacophony but as a collective chant: Latin American love for melodrama become voice.

But here spectators shall not be outside of the work’s construction or watch in contemplation; they shall be guided through and instructive modelling class with daily life materials; similarly they will be seduced and inspired by the interpretation of an extract of Carmina Burana, which narrates in Latin “My sweetest one, I give my all to you!”.

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Emanuel Rodríguez (Costa Rica) Daemon. Roderich Tuhn Video 00:12:37 2017

Christian Salablanca (Costa Rica) Dos piedras (Two Stones) Video 00:10:06 2017

This work is built from fragments, multiple lives and events, suggesting memory is a construction from different players and realities. Similarly, time shows how omission and silence may evidence that construction of a memory is a whimsical act, and how the power of images to narrate and build, may run out.

This proposal addresses the idea of the body as the spatial measure of emotions. The relation between the hand, the stone and the heart are elements suggesting a link with situations of vulnerability. “Sometimes your heart should be of stone” answered a 13 years-old child when the artist asked him if he was not afraid when having to defend himself.

The intention emerges from an investigation done by the artist: he needed access to records of public domain and was denied the petition because of his intention was using them to create a new story. Consequently, Rodríguez questions who has the power to establish the criteria to create official narratives and versions of History? On whom should the power of telling the truth be bestowed and specifically asks, what is the truth?

The relationship between the verbal and the memory of violent actions is evident in a non-explicit way, to the extent of affecting viewers psychologically. Through the repetition of a shocking single action -the two fists simulate the sound of stones simultaneously hitting, although it’s also the way two people would greet each other in an urban violence context - generates a political work which is far from being sensationalist and propagandistic.

Jonathan Torres (Costa Rica) Ejercicio de colaboración (Exercise on Collaboration) Interactive installation 2017

José Pablo Ureña (Costa Rica) Labasuraapropiada (Usurpedgarbage) Digital picture and interaction in social networks 2017

This work is presented in two different spaces and temporalities: MADC and Instagram. On one hand, the Museum gets full of garbage: galleries, corridors, offices, restrooms… any corner. Spectators will notice interference in the order, and the works show a disruptive visual point which cannot be eluded. On the other hand, the pictures of urban waste published on this social network under the hashtag #labasuraapropiada, show an appropriation of the signs existing in different places of the city, with prohibition messages

Uses light to appeal to a phenomenon that becomes an error and leads to death, disgracing the piece itself. Such violent scene may only be enjoyed when a collaborative relationship emerges between two persons: he who activates the work will not be able to observe the process, and the observer may only be an accomplice to destruction.

Through these physical and visual interventions, the artist presents an analogy between the urban space and spam (digital waste) versus the work randomly arranged in the Museum. The texts point out to the irony and lack of effectiveness to avoid citizens/users from exposing their waste on public and social spaces.

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To think the light is to think the real. Light reveals, eradicates uncertainty, gives birth to reason, bearing the truth and beauty; unmistakable symbol of good, idea surging in the past when shadows meant death. The artist takes this historical premise, altering it with an opposite turn.

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Joan Villaperros (Costa Rica) Ye stsöke. Yo cantar (I Sing) Video installation: electronic device, speaker, inks, oil, water, sound 00:19:42 and video streaming 2017

Orlando Villatoro (El Salvador) SS2 (from the series Código humano / Human Code) Installation: earthenware jars 2017

Ye stsöke (means I sing, in bribri) is a piece deriving from indigenous songs recorded in the eighties by Jorge Luis Acevedo, and reproduced by a device where we view the Awá’s meditation: a shaman healer knows the specific chant to heal the sickness affecting the patient.

Jars are elements with high historic significance, synonym of origin, essence and masses. When they are overlapped with security cameras online – through the activation of a QR code scanner- a space/time relationship is created, underlining the topic of security on human beings’ timeline, a common and current concern. With this installation of jars, the artist creates a portrait of the everyday: any site under video surveillance triggers an existing fear and the uneasiness of not feeling safe.

The artist, experienced musician, works on interactive art projects and creates sound machines; robot systems to compose music employing new media. He bases his work on the DIY (Do It Yourself) concept and open code technology as new ways of learning and sharing knowledge.

Award and Mentions 26

AWARD ii_17

Alejandra RamĂrez (Costa Rica) Puedo escribir cualquier cosa de cualquier imagen (I Can Write Anything of Any Image) Video 00:04:31. 2017

This work is not a biographical sequence; neither is it a documentary or domestic video. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rather a way to appeal to the power of image from ironic derision, and of those who assume it to construct specific narratives. Based on recorded material the artist reflects around the concept of the image and its possible interpretations. She envelops the viewer through narrative in a reflective complicity of the sense claimed by memory, image and words. Enunciation is power.

MENTION ii_17

Andy Retana (Costa Rica) La cámara (The Camera) Video 00:09:00 2017

The action in this piece consists of collecting different species of insects in glass jars; later spraying them with aerosol poison as regularly done in households to exterminate various insects. The video is intervened simultaneously by cinematographic scenes and TV series giving clues to the symbolic and cultural values attributed to the different kinds of insects shown in the jars. From a bio-political statement, the artist points to the “moral validity” arrogated by some organisms over the others, constructing a metaphor between the extermination of insects and socially disadvantaged populations. Thus, he ingeniously provides a link between culture and the popular imagery with the existing thematic of social exclusion of minorities, and plays with a direct analogy unlocking multiple and complex interpretations of local and universal realities.

MENTION ii_17

Esvin Alarcón (Guatemala) Ruta de la seda (Silk Route) Digital photography printed as tableau 2017 Courtesy of Henrique Faria Gallery New York

The artist has rebuilt the arch donated in 1921 by the Chinese Colony of Guatemala, as homage to commemorate the centenary of the Independence, horizontally and through an ephemeral action. The monument was located at the Central Plaza and was removed some years later making space for the construction of other buildings which are currently there. The installation -captured by a drone- was done any other Sunday, and the “American clothing” manufactured in Asian countries, increasingly vanishes while bystanders take it. With this singular action, the artist connected the biographical contents with a critical reflection concerning the political, patrimonial and symbolic legacy. The action itself nourishes on frugal resources based on records which by their poetic visual use and second-hand, low priced mass consumer products, narrates a story generating a counterpoint.

Mono canal Program

Esvin Alarcón (Guatemala) Aparición (Vision) Video. 00:02:15, 2017 Courtesy of Henrique Faria Gallery New York

Óscar Figueroa (Costa Rica) The Great White Fleet Video. 00:07:15 2017

Pablo Romero (Costa Rica) Fantasías animadas de ayer y hoy II (Animated Fantasies of Today and Yesterday II) Gif translated to video 2017

Léster Rodríguez (Honduras) Manifiesto (Manifest) Video registration. 00:02:05 2016

Wilson ilama (Costa Rica) Auto_sabotaje (Self-sabotage). Video. 00:01:00 2017

David Garrigues (Costa Rica) No existe lugar privilegiado (There Are No Privileged Places) Video. 00:04:30 2017

It was an initiative (ii) in its second, third and fifth edition (2003, 2004, 2007) when the jury decided to present some works in a format of collective piece in loop, in a similar fashion to the exhibition. The selection criteria were based precisely in those works considered as not final; possessing a significant potential, and the intention of employing their resources and the quality of the material presented to the contest, they were exposed jointly.

Leyla Vargas (Costa Rica) Eros en los tiempos del Internet (Eros in Times of the Internet) Video. 00:00:57. 2017

In this edition the curatorial team decided to resume this program, on one hand to make reference to that motion of years past; and on the other one, to support proposals exploring possibilities of action. Artists of well-recognized careers currently, have passed through this exhibition format.

2017. Historical review

Aria. Brooke Alfaro

Brooke Alfaro (Panamá) Aria Video projection 00:03:20 2001 MADC Collection (First Prize ii_2002)

Alan Omar Mairena (Honduras) Gravedad (Gravity) Video projection 00:02:00 2004 MADC Collection (Award ii_2004)

José Alberto Hernández (Costa Rica) Auto-opsis (Self-Autopsy) Video installation 00:16:35 2002 MADC Collection (Second Prize ii_2002)

Rossana Lacayo (Nicaragua) La sirenita de la Chureca (Little Mermaid of the Chureca) Digital photography printed on canvas (triptych) 2007 MADC Collection (Award ii_2007)

Edgar León (Costa Rica) Memoria del porqué / Euqrop led Airomem (Rationale Memory/ Euqrop led Airomem) Video installation 00:04:34 2003 MADC Collection (Award ii_2003)

Karlo Andrei Ibarra (Puerto Rico) El maquinista (The Machine Operator) Videocreation 5:57 minutes MADC Collection (Award ii_2011) Javier Calvo (Costa Rica) Tiempo de captura (Capture Time) Video projection 00:10:11 minutes 2013 (Award ii_2013)

Lucía Madriz (Costa Rica) Dolor de cabeza (Headache) Video projection 00:05:15 2003 MADC Collection (Award ii_2003)

Stephanie Williams (Costa Rica) Imagen y semejanza (Image and Likeness) Book & Audio 00:02:03 2015 (Award ii_2015)

Ernesto Salmerón (Nicaragua) y Mauricio Prieto (Colombia) Documento 1/29 (Document 1/29) Video projection 00:03:49 2002 MADC Collection (Award ii_2003)

Carpeta de ensayos de DJ Pulp. Francisco Munguía

Animations and videogames

Since the incorporation of digital art in the fourth edition of the contest, in 2005, videogames and animations covering topics on politics, historic legacy, military occupation, national character and identity, have been selected for exhibition, contemplating humor and violence, basic aspects in these types of formats. Ana Luisa Sánchez (Panamá) Angie contra el mundo (Angie Against the World) Videogame MADC Collection (ii_2005) Francisco Munguía (Costa Rica) DJ Pulp presenta Perros y Carpeta de ensayos de DJ Pulp (DJ Pulp’s Dogs’) and (DJ Pulp Trials’ Folder) Animation. 00:08:47 y 00:09:05. MADC Collection ii_2007 Diego Fournier (Costa Rica) The marihuana monster attack Videojuego. (ii_2011) Francisco Munguía (Costa Rica) DJ Pulp Animation. 00:04:13 (ii_2011) Pilar Moreno (Panamá) Panamá Animation. 00:02:52 (Mention ii_2013)

What is not measured doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist

1st 2nd 3d 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th edition edition edition edition edition edition edition edition edition

Year

2002

2003

2004

2005

2007

2011

2013

2015

2017

135

103

135

23%

20%

29%

22%

19%

23%

25%

16%

Registered countries

n.i.a

Selected countries

Awards

n.g.

Mentions

n.o.

n.g.

Special mentions

n.o.

n.g.

Registered artists Percentage chosen artists

Honorary Mentions

n.i.a = no information available n.g = not granted

Number of works selected per country throughout the contest*

12 9 14

114 13

* Not taken into account: double nationalities or countries outside of Central America and the Caribbean

The Event Restless Image (Inquieta Imagen) should not disappear but evolve. MADC has understood this circumstance and assumed its corresponding responsibility. Willy Kautz, Mexican curator was consequently invited to the ninth edition; he has specialized in reshaping competitions and contests, making way to formats consistent with the local and global context.

• Experimentation with technologies became a

(ii_17) was conceived as an exercise of pause and introspection, for MADC to rephrase a contest which is deemed should be closing a cycle. Following we detail some milestones, turning points, relevant aspects and general conclusions resulting from the assessment of the contest, from 2002 to 2017; it’s based on historicalstatistical analysis, on documentation, records of the jury, in formal and informal interviews with artists and curators, and MADC’s institutional considerations, namely:

rooms, being dull and outdated today in front of the contemporary.

means to achieve a prize instead of an end.

Regarding the model •

• This format derives from 19th century show-

• The biennial/contest format does not necessarily

propitiate artistic production but rather participation to obtain a prize. This might create a bias, if intending to understand it as its measurement.

• The contextualizing curatorial framework tried to

incentive collectivity, but selection, awards, and assembly of the exhibitions rather emphasized individualities.

Regarding the contest • The selection criteria had quickly to be broadened

• There are several complications when trying to

(performance and its recording, photo performance and video performance, installation, video and documentary records, videoinstallation, videodocumentation and photo projection; the ones categorized as new media such as sound, animation, videoanimation and stop-motion; videogames, digital book, digital print, digital and lenticular photography, webblog; etc.).

articulate a curatorial discourse through contest mechanisms; as regards the exhibitions’ terms, proposals tend to rival with each other and are not complementary to or potentiating a curatorial concept. Prioritization should be dismissed.

• Judging a specific work in a contest, does not define or characterize the quality of its author’s general production.

• The need to produce exhibitions through curator-

• The present artistic sector tends to be apathetic

ship surged.

and skeptical before the model of contest/biennial.

• Record of juries are constantly mentioning the con-

cepts of experimentation and exhibition formats, suggesting the potential need of curatorial contextualization which in many cases, was hidden behind the evaluation criteria established by the jury in each edition.

Regarding the context • Generational renewal of artists is increasingly frequent. • The younger artists don’t undertake technology as

• Over the years and MADC’s follow-up of artists

an unusual tool, so it doesn’t interfere directly in their production.

participating in Restless Image (Inquieta Imagen), it was possible to confirm that many used experimentation only as a means to participate in the competition; and after the contest, they returned to their usual languages.

• Emerging or younger artists understand the limits of

artistic languages in a more diffuse way than their predecessors; they feel more comfortable and it’s

What should become of Inquieta Imagen?

more attractive and rewarding for them to produce and experiment.

• The discussion about the techniques and lan-

guages of contemporary art remain open, but is not the main focus for artistic production.

This contest was born with the intention of stimulating artistic creation linked to technology, in a circumstance where the means were understood as something new, almost alien to our process. This has changed in the present, so, Inquieta Imagen should not have a closed structure; neither should it be a single model or designed under only one format. Instead it could be:

• The ways images and visual culture are consumed has radically changed over the last 15 years and continues to do so always.

• The format promoting news technologies, so ap-

• A hybrid format combining the model of a calling

propriate fifteen years ago, is today excluding. guages”, comfort zones and common places.

with curatorial visions, and propitiating the interaction of participants, a platform for exchange and learning.

• Evolution and a change of context have taken

• Collective exhibition enabling the mapping of the

• The “new technologies” became “customary lan-

place in Central America and the Caribbean, linked to the concept of contemporariness. What was contemporary 15 years ago is not likely to be so today.

Central American and Caribbean production from young artists.

• Experimental collaborative workshop among artists working on the diversity and exploration of media, languages, techniques and materials.

• The contest emerged from a need to stimulate a

nascent scene; but the context has other dimensions presently.

• Artistic residency fostering the exchange between regional artists and curators.

Regarding the Museum

• Substitute outdated models with platforms that al-

According to its creation MADC, “shall project to the future but in reference to the recent past, where present artistic expressions are prepared and announced.” To break from passivity and inertia, actors forming part of (ii_17) and what should become of it, must face a new challenge. It is the artistic scene who shall call for and propose a change, with innovative proposals through experimentation and in spaces which unsettle those visual devouring consumers wandering an increasingly uncertain world.

• Propose suitable exhibition models that give an

Daniel Soto Morúa MADC head curator

• Destine public funds to innovative projects. • Potentiate the collectiveness, research and publications of contemporary artistic work.

• Generate spaces for new expressions. low for the circulation of new ways of artistic investigation and production.

account of recent changes in the relationship between art and technology regionally.

JUNTA ADMINISTRATIVA MADC 2017: Presidenta: Sylvie Durán | Vicepresidenta: Karina Salguero Moya | Secretaria: Loida Pretiz | Vocal 1: Jurgen Ureña | Vocal 2: María José Chavarría JUNTA NACIONAL DE CURADORES: Eunice Báez, Adriana Collado-Chaves, María José Chavarría,

Rolando Barahona-Sotela, Fernando Ramírez, Marta Rosa Cardoso, María José Monge, Fiorella Resenterra, Daniel Soto Morúa y Diego Van der Laat

JUNTA FUNDACIÓN PRO MADC 2017: Presidenta: Karina Salguero | Secretaria: Adriana Gómez | Tesorera: Gisela Salazar | Vocal 1: Jurgen Ureña | Vocal 2: Diego Van der Laat

CRÉDITOS DE ESTA PUBLICACIÓN: Textos: Daniel Soto Morúa | Prólogo: Fiorella Resenterra y Willy Kautz | Diseño gráfico, fotografía y capturas de video: Adriana Artavia Gracias especiales y marinas al Salon Killer MUSEO DE ARTE Y DISEÑO CONTEMPORÁNEO. Ministerio de Cultura y Juventud. Ubicado en el Centro Nacional de Cultura. Avenida 3, calles 11 y 15, San José, Costa Rica. info@madc.cr | www.madc.cr | Teléfonos (506) 22579370, (506) 22223489. Fax (506) 22578702, TODOS LOS DERECHOS RESERVADOS MADC 2017.