"Taking inspiration from the myth of the tree of life, the idea for this year's theme, The World Tree, is to present artistic practices and artworks that highlight the "archetypal myth central to many ancient cosmogonies," as curator Eugenio Viola writes in the catalog. Closer to the event itself, the tree of life is fundamental to Mayan cosmogony, symbolizing the connection between different levels of existence and the structure of the universe."
"For Viola, artistic director of the Bogotá Museum of Modern Art (MAMBO), this myth perfectly illustrates how many parts of our society are interconnected. The press preview, which I attended along with writers from publications across the Americas, started with a day in Antigua, where many of the presented works responded to the cultural and site-specific nature of the place."
The 24th Bienal de Arte Paiz, titled The World Tree, gathered 46 artists from over 15 countries across ten venues in Antigua and Guatemala City. The program centers on the tree-of-life myth, a foundational element in Mayan cosmogony, to examine connections between levels of existence and the interdependence within society. Curator Eugenio Viola framed the theme to emphasize cultural and social interconnectedness. Several commissions and exhibitions were site-specific to Antigua, involving longstanding partners such as La Nueva Fabrica and the Fundación Paiz para la Educación y la Cultura, which has supported education and culture in Guatemala for more than forty years. The edition expanded significantly from 2023, signaling an ambitious regional scope.
Read at Hyperallergic
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