The Wynwood Juried Show/Art Contest Awards/Digital 2024 (WJSD/24) is much more than just a virtual art contestThis event serves as a platform to highlight new generations of artists, their innovative practices and contemporary issues that, today more than ever, reflect the complexities of society.
In a context of cultural and social criticism, WJSD/24 addresses fundamental issues such as the status of women, human and planetary ecology, otherness, wars and their devastating consequences.as well as social displacements. These are not just isolated issues, but the pillars on which contemporary artistic discourse is built.
The event will award three main prizes and three honorable mentions.s, awarded by a jury composed of three key figures from the art world: Milagros Bello, Orianna Montenegro and Marlene Santaella. Each of them brings a unique perspective and vast experience in their respective fields, making this jury an exceptionally qualified team to select the most outstanding works. The award-winning works will be exhibited on a globally accessible virtual platform for three months, from September to December 2024allowing a wide audience to discover new voices in contemporary art.
Who will be on the WJSD/24 jury?
Milagros Bello is one of the most influential figures in the contemporary art scene in Miami and beyondWith a career spanning more than two decades, her curatorial approach has been key to promoting emerging artists, as well as presenting works that address issues of profound social and cultural relevance. As director and chief curator of MIA Curatorial Projects, a space/gallery that has become a reference for the exploration of new voices in art, Bello has developed a platform that not only exhibits art, but also acts as an incubator for talent.
Educated at the Sorbonne University, where she obtained a PhD in Sociology of Art and a Master’s degree in Art History, Bello combines a solid academic foundation with practical experience in curating and the critical analysis of art. Her interdisciplinary approach allows her to approach art from a perspective that considers both the sociocultural context and the internal dynamics of artistic creation.
For its part, Orianna Montenegro, born in Venezuela and currently based in Miami, is a multidisciplinary artist whose work focuses on abstraction, mixed media, and experimental art. Her educational background includes a BA in Studio Art and Graphic Design from Lindenwood University, as well as additional studies at institutions such as Parsons, The New School of Design, Boston University, and the Catholic University of Lyon.
Montenegro’s works are a visual journey through different temporal dimensionswhere past, present and future intertwine in a complex and suggestive narrative. This approach has led Montenegro to explore not only his own experiences and memories, but also to connect these experiences with a shared collective memory, inviting the viewer to participate in an introspective and emotional dialogue.
Finally, Marlene Santaella, a Caracas native living in Miami, began her career in photography in 2014, when she decided to deepen her passion for images through studies at the Roberto Mata School of Photography.Since then, he has developed a body of work that ranges from documentary photography to a more artistic and conceptual approach, exploring themes ranging from serenity and simplicity to the complexity of human relationships and the fragility of existence.
In 2020, Santaella won first place in the Virtual Hall of IncubadoraVisual with his work Veils of silencea piece that captures the essence of solitude and introspection in a context of contemplation.
Artists selected for the Wynwood Juried Show/Art Contest Awards/Digital 2024 include: Mylene León, Eliana Barbosa, Ricardo Carbonell, Mabelin Castellanos, Sergio Cesario, Jinny Isserow, Matt Jacobs, Esther Kaufman, Deborah Kruger, Paola Lettieri, Karina Matheus, Rafael Montilla, Beatriz Sánchez, Daniel Schachner, and Raúl Vargas, among many others.
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