The Colombian capital was abuzz last month when the doors of the contemporary art world swung open with the 14th version of the International Art Fair of Bogotá. While a passionate community of artists and private collectors examined during four days the most innovative and eye-catching from the galleries represented at ARTBO, the fair has also inspired a host of cultural happenings, such as Barcú, where works by established, as well as up-and-coming artists were exhibited in the colonial houses of La Candelaria.
Among the artists participating in Barcú was Sergio Mendoza with his installation titled “Como Pajarito volando” – Like a flying bird. Made from worthless Venezuelan banknotes and folded into geometric shapes, Mendoza’s paper drapery makes a direct reference to the on-going migration crisis across the hemisphere as Venezuela faces economic collapse.
As a common language shared among individuals and cultures, art was trending with politically relevant themes, such as internal displacement and forced migration. Bogotá’s invigorating galleries also gave spectators an opportunity to engage with plenty of human empathy and let their imaginations take flight. And this has no price.
