Honourable Mention...

Until November 15th visitors to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic will have the chance to visit the 25 Bienal nacional de artes visuales, held at the Museum of Modern Art of Santo Domingo. The biennial is exhibiting only work by artists of Dominican descent or those who have lived in the Dominican Republic for at least 5 years, thus establishing the local flavour of this particular event. Work exhibited includes painting, sculpture, drawing, graphic design, photography, video/multimedia, ceramics, installation, performance and sound art.


Proving that age doesn't necessarily bring grace, the oldest biennial in the Americas has found itself embroiled in controversy since its opening in August. Critics have lambasted the organisers and jury for what they see as poor management and incompetence, particularly in the choice of works exhibited and the awarding of the prizes. Dominican critic Carlos Francisco Elias very poetically accused the biennial of bureaucratic hermetism, claiming that the organisers have allowed the event to deteriorate into near obscurity, insofar as the wider public is concerned.

Marianne de Tolentino, a critic well-known in Latin American artistic circles, expressed indignation at the fact that so many works of quality were overlooked in the awarding of the jury prizes. According to her, media that she considers Dominican strengths were given short shrift, such as drawing and painting. Interestingly, de Tolentino also decries the lack of attention given to work done in ceramic, a position that could easily draw her into the debate on craft's place in the contemporary art landscape - but that is a discussion for another time.

In addition to criticising the artists rewarded with prizes, de Tolentino expresses a desire to see prizes awarded according to medium rather than giving a grand prize; she rightly points out the difficulty of judging works in animation, photography and sculpture alongside performance and installation.

The Grand Prize was awarded to Pascal Meccariello, an artist whose work ranges from photography to installation. Although de Tolentino has only good things to say about Meccariello's work, she also highlights the work of Miguel Ramirez, who submitted his sculpture Odiseo, as well as an installation that she described as beautiful and radical. Another multidisciplinary artist mentioned as having a very developped practice is Iris Perez; working in painting, drawing, and ceramic, her drawings were singled out as being particularly deserving of attention for this year's biennial. Also in drawing, Pedro Terreiro submitted a work that de Tolentino said was "the only large abstract piece." Finally, there was the work of Limber Vilorio, an artist given an honourable mention (which de Tolentino felt was too minor a recognition for work of such caliber).

Despite the controversy, artists and critics alike are hopeful regarding the next biennial. As Abil Peralta Agüero, art critic and cultural assesor for the Chamber of Representatives, says:

"...our beloved Biennial must return to its place of prestige in the Dominican artistic community, to be a source of national pride, with all the splendour, quality and dignity for which it has been known in the past."