Jump Cuts

One of the primary goals of the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation (CIFO) is to update and globalize knowledge of contemporary art in Latin America while challenging stereotypes and traditional paradigms associated with art from the region. The exhibition Jump Cuts. Venezuelan Contemporary Art. Colección Mercantil not only aligns perfectly with this mission but also significantly contributes to it. It offers a dynamic perspective that transcends clichés and presents a thoroughly modern view of the complexity and diversity of Venezuela's contemporary artistic production, thereby keeping you, our esteemed audience, informed and connected.

The title Jump Cuts effectively encapsulates the curatorial premise, reflecting Venezuelan art's fragmented, contradictory, and multifaceted nature since the 1970s. The notion of interruption inherent in "Jump Cut" applies not only to contemporary national art but also to the broader Venezuelan reality, which is marked by ongoing social, political, economic, and cultural crises. Following the emergence of a generation of geometric abstract artists such as Alejandro Otero, Jesús Soto, Carlos Cruz-Diez, and Gego, Venezuelan modern art gained international significance that has endured over time, a fact that should make us all proud and appreciative of the rich artistic heritage of Venezuela.

This internationalism is evident in contemporary art, characterized by a formalist approach that eschews localism, mannerisms, or a nationalist definition of identity in favor of contemporary conceptual strategies. The four thematic nuclei proposed by Jesús Fuenmayor, along with Tahía Rivero and Lorena González—The Modern Vernacular, From the Object to the Mode of Representation, Art Thought, and Necrophilia—reflect the unique dialectics of Venezuelan art, which bear similarities to artistic production in Brazil.

On the one hand, there is a connection to a formalist or modernist tradition, seen in the works of artists like Sigfredo Chacón, Magdalena Fernández, Arturo Herrera, and Juan Iribarren. On the other hand, there is a commitment to contextual and conceptual strategies that blend international and local influences, as demonstrated by artists such as Alexander Apóstol, Luis Molina-Pantin, Juan Carlos Rodríguez, and Javier Téllez. In Jump Cuts, another crucial aspect of contemporary Venezuelan art emerges, as described by Jesús Fuenmayor in the catalog: it is a complex and highly diverse art form, varying widely in terms of contexts and modes of production. Therefore, a unified understanding of current artistic production is neither feasible nor desirable. The thematic axes provide historical context for each artist's work, situating them within both local and international frameworks—something often overlooked in discussions of Venezuelan contemporary art.

It is fortunate that the Colección Mercantil and the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation have collaborated to present this important exhibition, resulting from the vision and efforts of curators Tahía Rivero, Jesús Fuenmayor, and Lorena González. Jump Cuts offers a valuable opportunity for the public in Miami to engage with the diverse expressions of contemporary Venezuelan art.

Artists:

Alexander Apóstol, Juan Araujo, Carla Arocha, Emilia Azcárate, Aziz + Cucher, Alessandro Balteo Yazbeck, Mariana Bunimov, Sigfredo Chacón, Eugenio Espinoza, José Gabriel Fernández, Magdalena Fernández, Héctor Fuenmayor, Alexander Gerdel, Jaime Gili, Alí González, José Antonio Hernández-Diez, Arturo Herrera, Juan Iribarren, Diana López, Luis Molina-Pantin, Roberto Obregón, David Palacios, Alfredo Ramírez, Juan Carlos Rodríguez, Luis Romero, Javier Téllez, Meyer Vaisman, Sandra Vivas, Alfred Wenemoser, Julia Zurilla.