Pabellon 2024 - Panama Pavilion

Traces. On the Body and on the Land.

Panama’s inaugural national pavilion at the

60. Esposizione Internazionale d’Arte de La Biennale di Venezia

Mirages of the Gap

The artwork Mirages of the Gap provides a metaphorical exploration of the journey migrants make through the thick and roadless rainforest known as the Darien Gap. Based on two large abstract structures in which paint and pigment have been replaced by layers of mud, the rough textures of the multicolored soil that the artist gathered in situ symbolize the arduousness of the earthy trails that human beings have carved through the jungle.

The structures converge on a central white wedge an ascending triangle suggestive of a passageway with an unknown climax. The work emerges as an expression of awareness regarding both the collective journey and an individual sense of yearning, offering a visual and poetic testament to courage, resilience, and hope, encapsulating encapsulating the essence of the human struggle for a better future and a more dignified way of life. the essence of the human struggle for a better future and a more dignified way of life.

Todo lo que es noble y verdadero

The massive migration of Afro-Caribbean men and women in the early twentieth century for the construction of the Panama Canal brought about a profound transformation in Panama and its demographic makeup. The migratory waves not only etched an enduring mark on the nation’s history and ejercieron una influencia significativa en su diversidad cultural. Para aquellos que se atrevieron a aventurarse y trasladarse, el cuerpo migrante se convirtió en un repositorio de crónicas y recuerdos,mientras que los individuos

lucharon con el desafío de decidir qué llevar consigo y qué dejar atrás.La pregunta central se convierte en un dilema conmovedor: ¿cómo conciliar el deseo de preservar la propia identidad con la necesidad apremiante de asimilarse para sobrevivir? A través del collage, De Dier logra una meticulosa recopilación de material de archivo, documentos familiares e historias orales, entretejiéndolos en nuevas narrativas que iluminan la experiencia de los migrantes.

Selva

Inside the installation entitled “Selva”, visitors find themselves surrounded by a series of monumental drawings. With loose and expressive strokes, De Obaldía offers an immersion into the jungle known as the “Darien Gap.” Roots surrounded by ferns, palms intertwined with vines, rivers, and waterfalls, confront the observer directly Glass sculptures display dramatic colors and shapes with carved and richly textured surfaces y de ricas texturas that generate luminous effects.

Algunas evocan la vegetación, mientras que otras parecen seres humanos heridos, maltratados o atrapados. El componente auditivo de la instalación envuelve a los espectadores con sonidos de animales, agua y viento, así como pisadas y voces humanas.

Obras seleccionadas

The oceans and jungles in Brooke Alfaro’s paintings do not depict sublime seascapes nor peaceful rainforests. Rather, they are the scenarios of great human dramas where vulnerable individuals, often in large groups, in various types of boats or surrounded by wilderness, confront an aggressive and dangerous natural world. Although the compositions stem from his imagination, the pervasive sense of tragedy reminds us of the rafts full of migrants from the Mediterranean or in the Darien

that we see in the news today. Alfaro began painting these ominous scenes in the nineties, long before the news about migration through Panama reported the current human crisis of epic proportions.

The Panama Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Art Biennale arises as a profound reflection on the enduring traces that migration leaves on individuals and their surroundings. Entitled “Traces: On the Body and on the Land,” this exhibition echoes the current migration crisis with a particular focus on the Panamanian context, interpreted by four artists through drawings, paintings, collages, glass sculptures, and installations

La Biennale di Venezia

The 60th edition of the The Venice Biennale will inaugurate in April 2024 and run for eightmonths, during which more that 800,000 people will visit the different pavilions.

An event without precedent

For the first time ever, there will be a Panama Pavilion at the prestigious Venice Art Biennale. This unique opportunity features four outstanding Panamanian artists who epitomize the best of our contemporary art.

It is an exceptional opportunity for Panama to present itself on the most famous international renowned at the level of art and culture to showcase the best of our country, opening doors for many talents not only in the arts but in the disciplines that study, teach and promote it.

Commissioner

Itzela Quirós is a Professor of History of Art and Architecture. She received her BS in Architecture with an emphasis on built heritage intervention and an MA in Preservation Projects Management from Politecnico di Milano. She is a PhD candidate in Architecture at the National University of Colombia. Since 2009 she is active as a preservation Architect for the Ministry of Culture of Panama and has been appointed National Deputy Director of Cultural Heritage and National Director of Museums

Curatorial Committee

The pavilion was initially proposed by Ana Elizabeth González to the Venice Biennale. After being accepted and receiving a formal invitation, she invited Mónica Kupfer and Luz Bonadíes, to join her in the curatorial committee for the Panama Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale.

Our Artists

Team

Pavilion Location

Our Cause

El Pabellón Nacional de Panamá emerge como un eco profundo de las huellas perdurables que la migración deja en las personas y en su entorno. Bajo el título de “Surcos: En el cuerpo y en la tierra”, esta exposición refleja la crisis migratoria actual, con un enfoque particular en el contexto de Panamá. Por su posición geográfica que ofrece un puente entre continentes y un paso expedito entre dos océanos, Panamá siempre ha sido un lugar de tránsito, comercio y contacto cultural. Es un país moldeado por la llegada y el paso de personas desde la época precolombina, durante el periodo colonial y debido a la construcción y administración de su famoso canal interoceánico.

Panamá ha recibido la atención del mundo debido al enorme movimiento de refugiados y migrantes por la selva del Darién, la peligrosa jungla tropical de unos 26,000 km2 entre Colombia y Panamá.

El Darién es el único punto donde de la carretera Panamericana que conecta el continente se interrumpe. Cruzar el Darién es una travesía desgarradora – sin carreteras, infraestructuras ni servicios; sin seguridad ante la violencia, los peligros o abusos– por donde pasan refugiados y migrantes que se dirigen hacia el norte del continente. Solo en el año 2023, cruzaron el Darién más de 520,000 personas, 22% de ellos niños, huyendo situaciones de violencia y condiciones socioeconómicas adversas que los impulsan a cruzar por unas de las zonas más peligrosas del mundo.