Weight and Lightness: Lat Am at PhotoEspaña

Madrid: Artists Juan Toro, Leonardo Ramirez (Venezuela); Eunice Adorno, Maurio Palos, Jose Ernesto Muñiz (Mexico); Myriam Meloni, Pedro Linger, Daniel Baca, Santiago Hafford, Diego Levy (Argentina); Alvaro Villela, Pedro Mottad, Ricardo Barcellos (Brazil); Jose Luis Rodriguez Maldonado (Colombia); Mayerling Garcia (Nicaragua) are the creators that under the exhibit entitled Peso y Levedad –featured at the official section of the 14th International Photography and Visual Arts Festival PhotoEspaña 2011- are showcasing their works at the Cervantes Institute.

This is the fifth time this entity is attending the festival with a huge exhibit featuring a dialogue between Europe and the Americas. Organized in collaboration with the Spanish International Cooperation Agency for Development (AECID), the authors were handpicked based on the Trasatlantic Program carried out last year in Cartagena de Indias and Managua. PhotoEspaña organizers viewed the authors’ portfolios and the artists’ selections, while Spain’s Laura Terre and Guatemala’s Rosina Cazalli curated the pieces.

This critical glimpse at the realities and illusions of life in Latin America –based on a swatch of 73 photographs, a couple of videos and an installation- will make the rounds later all over the world.

Through July 24, PhotoEspaña will be showing some 68 exhibits (21 at the Official Section, half a dozen at OpenPhoto, 9 in other halls and 32 at the Festival Off) in 61 venues: museums, galleries, art centers and exhibition halls on Madrid, Cuenca, Alcala de Henares and Lisbon, that is, a 370-artist turnout from as many as 55 nations.

Other highlights at the events are the Campus PHE Grandes Maestros, June 22-25, featuring workshops by Ernesto Bazan, Javier Vallhonrat, Ouka Leele and Oliviero Toscani; and the most popular of all: the PHotoMaratón Mahou, on Sat- June 11 at 12:30 pm at the Canal Foundation. This consists of a race from the shutterbug to the photographer who looks for the best snapshot. All participants could choose one of their own pictures and have it printed, courtesy of Mahou.