Viewpoint

Viewpoint: The 2011 CIFO Grants & Commissions Program Exhibition marks the eighth annual showcase dedicated to the foundation's Grants Program at CIFO Art Space. This year, emerging artists Laura Belém, Marcius Galan, Fritzia Irizar-Rojo, Begoña Morales, Amalia Pica, and Antonio Vega are the recipients of CIFO's grants. Mid-career artists Tania Bruguera and Alicia Villarreal have been awarded the Commissions. Notably, this year also sees the return of the prestigious Achievement Commission, granted to David Lamelas, whose pioneering work over the past 30 years has significantly influenced conceptual practices and inspired a new generation of artists.

The exhibition features works from all recipients except Tania Bruguera, whose thought-provoking performance is scheduled for January 2012. The showcased pieces, representing a range of artistic experiences from emerging to established, delve into the relationships and shared themes among artists with diverse conceptual approaches and generational backgrounds. The selection process involves nominations by CIFO's Honorary Advisory Committee and final ratification by the Board of Directors, focusing not on a specific theme or style but on the investigative nature and contemporary relevance of the proposed works. Each year, CIFO invites artists to Miami to install their work, engage in public programs, and connect with fellow recipients.

The title Viewpoint emphasizes the notion of perspective, highlighting the relationship between the artist, the viewer, and the artwork. This exhibition is not just a static display of art but a dynamic process that captures the transformation of works—whether in video, photography, performance, sound, spatial interventions, or drawing—from personal ideas to experiential objects in the exhibition space. It's an invitation for you to be part of this transformation.

Artists like David Lamelas, Begoña Morales, and Alicia Villarreal utilize documentation to create perspectives on time, place, and space. Meanwhile, Marcius Galan and Laura Belém propose new ways of experiencing space. In contrast, the works of Amalia Pica, Antonio Vega, and Fritzia Irizar-Rojo examine how the viewer's position within social and physical spaces affects their ability to engage with the concepts presented.

Although Tania Bruguera's contribution will not be visible until January 2012, her interdisciplinary practice has long investigated the power of performance art to provoke social change. Her upcoming performance will challenge audiences to reflect on their societal roles and responses to discontent in relationships with others, their communities, and their governing systems, thus complementing the works of her peers in Viewpoint.

Collectively, these works are a testament to the power of art to communicate and interact. They interrogate our positions within various contexts, reformulating our relationships with space and highlighting the importance of communication, interaction, and cooperation. They explore the perspectives of the viewer, the executed, the outsider, and others through a series of enabled views and retold narratives. In this way, Viewpoint not only serves as an entry point into individual artistic practices but also as a dynamic exploration of the dialogue that defines contemporary art today.

Artists

Laura Belém (Brazil), Marcius Galan (Brazil), Fritzia Irizar-Rojo (Mexico), David Lamelas (Argentina), Begoña Morales (Peru), Amalia Pica (Argentina), Antonio Vega (Mexico), Tania Bruguera (Cuba), Alicia Villarreal (Chile).