MECA Art Fair | Main Section – Booth M06 | Santo Domingo, República Dominicana

_VIGILGONZALES is pleased to announce its participation in MECA Art Fair, the Caribbean Art Fair, in its 2024 edition, held March 20-24 in the city of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The presentation reunites the artworks of Javier Barilaro (Buenos Aires, 1974), Karina Skvirsky (Providence, 1969), Gonzalo Hernandez (Lima, 1991) and Andrea Tregear (Lima, 1982).

Through these diverse artistic practices, _VIGILGONZALES gallery proposes an enriching dialogue that transcends geographical and cultural borders, reflecting on decolonization, materiality and artistic processes in different media. In this platform for creative exchange, artists become storytellers that transcend the limits of space and time, connecting with diverse audiences through visual and conceptual expression.

 

 

With an approach that combines romanticization and criticism, Javier Barilaro develops an imaginary landscape where the vastness of the pampas emerges as the protagonist. His representations of different species of palm trees and shades of sunset evoke an environment completely transportable to the Caribbean context, thus generating an interconnection between apparently dissimilar landscapes.

 

For her part, Karina Skvirsky conducts a far-reaching investigation through her own biographical history in relation to Ingapirca, an Inca archaeological site in Ecuador, her country of origin. Using her personal experience as a starting point, Skvirskyaddresses issues such as migration, gender equity and social denunciation, weaving a narrative that transcends the individual to embrace the universal.

 

 

Gonzalo Hernández, through his work, offers a profound exploration of cultural identity and collective memory. His pieces reflect a unique fusion of traditional and contemporary techniques, creating compositions that reveal layers of meaning and symbolism. Through the use of iconic elements and visual narratives, Hernández invites the viewer to reflect on themes of history, belonging and cultural transformation in an increasingly globalized world. Her work challenges preconceived notions of authenticity and originality, promoting a critical dialogue on cultural heritage and the construction of identities in the context of postcoloniality.

The pieces that are part of the series AB Basel (The Center of the World), elaborated by Hernández since 2003, use the historical catalogs -both recent and old- of Art Basel as a material starting point. The collage in textile format expresses the motif of the circle, understood as a simulation of the route of the lost pieces and their information that is preserved in the archives but is not accessible to the public. In his research that traces the catalogs, approached by the artist as proofs or sketches, a meta-reflection on the exhibition space of the art fair is enabled. Driven by the quotas of success and failure in the art market, Hernandez invites us to wonder about the current role of works that have been exhibited in the past.

 

 

Meanwhile, Andrea Tregear employs acrylic as her primary medium to create harmonic compositions that not only explore color, but also structure. His works invite close contemplation, where the arrangement of forms and the chromatic palette combine to evoke deep sensations and emotions in the viewer.