In order to generate emotions and sensations that are often inexplicable, as happens when talking about art, Cortes Foundation opened its doors for a new exhibition titled: “Provocations”, an exhibition curated by the art historian, Dr. Mercedes Trelles Hernández.
“We seek to provoke a taste for art,” expressed Trelles in an interview with The New Day to talk about the project that has 53 artists from 18 countries and which is already exhibited in the space located in the San Francisco Street of the Old San Juan.
Through the unpublished works of “Provocations” we seek to challenge the viewer through a variety of artistic disciplines, including photography, painting, sculpture, video and assembly with which they explore contemporary themes such as migration, spirituality, history, identity and the complexities of politics in the Caribbean.
“This is an exhibition that It has a super interesting premise: collecting. Ignacio Cortés was interested in putting together an exhibition that would focus on what has not been seen from his collection until now. And to give it a novel theme and twist, we decided to work on the theme of collecting and the title was chosen by Ignacio, because for him, the work of art is a provocation,” explained the expert.
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“The title of The exhibition reflects how art has the ability to provoke both intellectually and emotionally. We want each visitor to feel challenged to reflect,” added the president of the foundation’s Board of Directors, Ignacio Cortés Gelpí.
Part of the works from the “Provocations” exhibition at the Cortés Foundation. (Supplied)
It is worth mentioning that the selected works highlight the importance of the cultural contributions of the Caribbean islands, especially those of the Lesser Antilles, so, for the selection process, an investigation was carried out on which region or island is not represented in the collection to find a way to include it. “There is a lot of cultural pride in these islands,” said Cortés Gelpí.
Regarding the selection process, which was classified by Trelles as a “fascinating” experience, he explained that the first condition was that they be pieces that have not been exhibited before. “This suggests that some things that are normally done, such as looking for a common theme or geography, were not going to apply here. We distilled the selection so that it had a kind of internal narrative… with abstraction and spirituality, great themes that are within the collection.”
What are they seeking to provoke?
“First and foremost, the taste for art. That feeling that art speaks to you and seeks you… feeling questioned about what the work of art is talking about. Secondly, draw attention to the practice of collecting. Collecting works of art, as Ignacio Cortés and the Chocolate Corte Es Foundation do, not only supports the contemporary artist by conserving and studying works of art, but also by sharing them with the public to make them known,” the also director of the Art History program at the University of Puerto Rico.
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Meanwhile, the exhibition will also have a special section titled “Focus Room: Pedro Cortés Forteza”which will be dedicated to pieces that have not been previously exhibited. This section highlights the gaze, spirituality, tactics and materiality, recurring themes in the collection.
On the other hand, for the art historian with more than 21 years of experience, spaces like those provided by the Cortés Foundation to promote artistic education are extremely important.
Part of the works from the “Provocations” exhibition at the Cortés Foundation. (Supplied)
“For me, art is one of the great gifts of existence. I think that we human beings deposit in works of art our thoughts about who we are, our culture, and that is why it is so important. They are ideas about ourselves, our existence, our problems and our context. It saddens me that he teaches us art history at the high school level.“Lamented Trelles, which is why, from his trench, he wants the public to feel empowered to be able to enjoy and appreciate art.
“We are all told that it is important to go to museums, but sometimes people feel a little helpless in front of a work of art. They don’t know what it is they are supposed to be looking at and appreciating. It is essential that we provide that education so that the public has the tools and instruments to appreciate it. “Spaces like those of the foundation are ideal for developing this skill,” ended.
On November 2, Trelles will take a guided tour of the exhibition, at 2:00 pm
Admission is free of cost and the hours are:
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Jueves – 11:00 a.m. a 5:00 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays – 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
