CIRCA Puerto Rico '07

CIRCA Puerto Rico ’07, the first international art fair in the Caribbean and Central America, will be held from March 30 – April 2, 2007 at the new Puerto Rico Convention Center in San Juan, and will feature some 50 exhibitors from Puerto Rico, Latin America, the United States, Europe, and Australia. CIRCA Puerto Rico ’07 will bring the best of Modern, and particularly Contemporary art to a local and international audience of collectors. It is the only art fair of its kind in the Caribbean and Central America, where an important group of collectors, such as Diana and Manolo Berezdivin, Alberto de la Cruz, César Reyes, John Belk, Rosalia and Humberto Ugobono, and Chilo Andreu, has emerged in the past few years in response to the bourgeoning and dynamic artistic community. Prominent museums like the MAPR, el Museo de Arte de Ponce, and private galleries such as Galería Comercial, and Walter Otero Gallery have been a platform for young emerging Puertorican artists like Allora & Calzadilla, Melvin Martínez, Javier Cambre, Bubú Negron, and Enoc Perez, among others. What the press said about CIRCA ‘06: • “a highly enthusiastic venture into art and commerce” (Contemporary, London) • “the confirmation that... Puerto Rico has the potential to become the economic epicenter of visual art and culture in the region” (Arte al día, Buenos Aires) • “Whatever reservations one might have about art fairs in general, it is hard to begrudge Puerto Rico its moment in the sun.” (artnet.com, New York) • “a commercial enterprise with considerable aesthetic punch” (Artnexus, Miami) Curated exbitions at CIRCA ‘07 Two curated exhibitions will be among the highlights of this fair: Caribe Mix, a show of ten international galleries displaying art from the Caribbean, in response to the exciting and creative art of the Caribbean exhibiting artists from Miami, Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, to the Antilles; and In the Spot: What you see is what you get will constitute a revolutionary focus towards curatorial practices today and the meaning of an art fair as a valid and intrepid exhibition platform. Conceived by independent curator Paco Barragán, everyday a different curator will put together a concept based exhibition from works exhibited at the fair; at the end of the day the curator will engage in a critical dialogue with the audience. Invited curators for this year’s edition are, among others, Silvia Karman Cubiña, director of the Moore Space, Miami, and David Liss, director of the MoCCA, Toronto. On another level, District CIRCA will host museums, independent art spaces, and magazines, offering information on their programs, curatorial practices, and services.