SWEATblog

The show attempts to overturn stereotypes in several ways. First: by exhibiting works that deploy irony and humor to treat life and realities in Colombia. Nadín Ospina's works included in the show make Lego mini-figs representative of the guerrillas and the poppies (poppies!) that inhabit NarColombiaLand. Gabriel Facundo takes amazingly beautiful portraits of street vendor's carts. The images are knowingly removed from their background to rachet up their hyper-reality and to make you look at these rolling retail operations. And SWEAT expresses a wish for a super-heroic Juan Valdez to make use of his super strength and make things better.

Second: The media in which strong art is presented. Ospina works across an array of media, presenting digital prints, works in stone and in ceramic. Anna Hoyos presents traditional painting of remarkable quality. Facundo presents his digitally manipulated photographs. And SWEAT presents the interactive videogame as a medium of expression.

Third: The Museo is itself re-forming itself. It is showing strong contemporary work by Latin-American artists of international caliber. It is adding this to its original identity as a cultural heritage museum with a focus on the past.