10 DEFINING Experiments

10 Defining Experiments, CIFO’s inaugural Grants Program exhibition, embodies the foundation's core mission: to enhance global understanding of contemporary artists from Latin America and challenge traditional stereotypes associated with Latin American art. Artists from this region are creating some of the most innovative and thought-provoking work today. However, there remains a lack of awareness regarding this rich and diverse artistic production, often leading to a generalized view of Latin America as a uniform entity and a tendency to perceive its art as singular in style—typically decorative and conventional—with themes rooted in an uncritical nostalgia and essentialist notions of identity.

This exhibition marks the culmination of the 2006 Grants Program. Each of the ten featured artists received a grant, selected from various proposals submitted by nominated artists, allowing them to create and showcase their projects. The exhibited works challenge the stereotypes associated with Latin American art. The subjects addressed by the artists are diverse, ranging from formal explorations of still life in painting to powerful commentaries on violence in Latin America and investigations into the nature of language, knowledge, and history. A common thread throughout the projects is an experimental, investigative approach: a discursive process through which each artist seeks to question rather than fully answer the complex layers of meaning present in everyday life.

Artists:

Emilia Azcárate (Venezuela), Alessandro Balteo Yazbeck (Venezuela), Mariana Castillo Deball (Mexico), Regina José Galindo (Guatemala), Josefina Guilisasti (Chile), Rubén Gutiérrez (Mexico), Jacqueline Lacasa (Uruguay), Rubens Mano (Brazil), Carlos Motta (Colombia), Carla Zaccagnini (Argentina).