Mexico City: The SUMArte Prize was delivered in its more recent edition to artist Gabriel Orozco (Veracruz, 1962), quite a benchmark in the world of the contemporary art.
In line with the tradition of the Olga and Rufino Tamayo Foundation of recognizing to organizations and personalities tied to philanthropy, this time the prize went to an artist who, in addition to giving a good name to his country, has made room for Mexican creators who seek to have a place in the international scene.
Orozco commented to the press: "When I exposed in this hall in 2000 the panorama, the contemporary art scene was somewhat different. Now ten or eleven years have gone by and it is very different, and that’s why I came to share the energy, to share the impetus that the art has, not so much because of me, but for what Mexico is going through."
When Consuelo Sáizar delivered the prize, the chairwoman of the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts emphasized the quality of the work of playwrights, directors and plastic artists, and highlighted Gabriel Orozco's labor for the support of other high-octane artists.
During the gala dinner of the Olga and Rufino Tamayo Foundation, the president of the Foundation, David Cohen, recognized Orozco and also highlighted the work of the Rufino Tamayo organization in consolidating the museum as the most important space for the spread of the world’s contemporary art in Latin America and one of main facilities of its kind in the world". He also said that the support of cultural institutions in Mexico is fundamental to bring the artistic Mexican heritage closer to the new generations. For this reason, he invited "the whole company to contribute, within its own possibilities, to provide the necessary things for the spread of culture in our country."
David Cohen also said that education across the arts is a very important way to sensitize current and future generations of Mexicans, and to build through it a more opened, informed, tolerant and competitive company.
Finally, he expressed his gratitude for the support they receive from Conaculta, of the INBA, for its sponsorship and auspices. Likewise, he underscored the work of the new director of the museum, Carmen Cuenca, and the job done by the Foundation deputy president, Angelica Fuentes, who with great passion for the contemporary arts and a managerial strategic vision has contributed to the goals of the Foundation.
Some of the works exhibited in the grand opening were "Fire Escape", a large-scale sculpture by Polish artist Monika Sosnowska, produced in Mexico and specially conceived for the main hall of the Tamayo Museum, and "It Vanished Without Leaving a Trace", by Slovakian artist Roman Ondak, performances that will be consecutively repeated in different moments and spaces within the framework of the exhibit.
During the event, the aims of the Foundation were highlighted: the promotion and spread of the contemporary art in Mexico, to locate, to document and to spread the work of Master Rufino Tamayo, and to contribute to the conservation of the museum and to the growth of its collections.
Source: Press release sent by ERIC RAMIREZ DOMÍNGUEZ
Guerra Castellanos y Asociados
Tel. +52 (55) 5246 0100 ext. 366
Bosque de Duraznos No. 55 - 4o Piso
Col. Bosques de las Lomas
C.P. 11700, México, D.F.
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