MIRAME Fine Art Brings Costa Rican Contemporary Art to the Forefront

Costa Rica’s Art Scene Deserves a Deeper Look

SAN JOSÉ, CR / ACCESSWIRE / December 2, 2024 / https://miramefineart.com/discover-costa-rica-art-basel-mirame/ As the international art world gathers for Art Basel Miami Beach, a recent feature in the Art Basel website’s ‘In-Focus’ section presented Costa Rica’s cultural contributions in a limited light. Titled ‘Discover Central America through the Eyes of Art World Insiders,’ the piece framed the country as little more than a tourist destination, focusing on its hot springs and volcanoes while overlooking its growing contemporary art scene.

Art Basel Miami Beach, Maurizio Cattelan, 2019

Belinda Seppings, MÍRAME co-founder, states that this reductive portrayal perpetuates harmful stereotypes about Costa Rica’s cultural landscape. ‘For a nation striving to assert its place in the international art world, the omission of its dynamic contemporary art scene is a missed opportunity,’ says Seppings.

The Creative Pulse of San José

Often dismissed as a transit point, San José, Costa Rica’s capital, is home to vital cultural institutions like the Museo de Arte Costarricense and the Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo. These venues, alongside commercial galleries such as DeCERCA and experimental spaces like cero-uno and abra.espacio, engage with pressing social and political issues through thought-provoking exhibitions.

By framing Costa Rica’s cultural identity through natural beauty, the Art Basel feature overlooks the depth and complexity of the country’s evolving art scene. This narrow portrayal risks reinforcing outdated perceptions, diminishing the relevance of Costa Rican art in broader international discourse.

Costa Rican Artists on the Global Stage

From Adrián Arguedas, who offers a contemporary take on traditional masquerade culture, to Katrin Aason, whose geometric textile works, dyed by hand using traditional natural methods, will debut at a U.S. gallery next spring, Costa Rican artists are gaining international recognition. Prominent examples include Federico Herrero, whose colourful, large-scale murals and paintings have earned major recognition through New York-based James Cohan gallery, and Priscilla Monge, whose work has been featured in exhibitions at New York’s MoMA, the prestigious Venice Biennale, and is part of the Tate Modern collection in London.

These artists exemplify Costa Rica’s creative energy, challenging simplistic notions of the country as a mere tropical haven and presenting a more nuanced narrative of its cultural vitality within the broader Latin American context.

A Moment for Broader Engagement

Art Basel Miami Beach is a global meeting point for artists, collectors, and curators to celebrate diverse perspectives – but also an opportunity to question which voices are being heard-and which remain on the margins.

MÍRAME Fine Art calls for a deeper engagement with regions like Costa Rica, whose evolving art scene pushes against reductive narratives about the country. Central America has a long tradition of socially and politically engaged art, and Costa Rica’s contemporary artists continue to build on this legacy.

In a world that often values spectacle, Costa Rican art offers a bold, provocative, and meaningful alternative. As Art Basel opens its doors, MÍRAME calls on the art world to reflect on its blind spots and seek out the emerging voices of places like Costa Rica.