The first Dominican immersive art exhibition opens its doors in Santo Domingo

On April 4, the Dominican Republic inaugurated its first-ever immersive art exhibition, "Tovar, live surrealism," dedicated to one of the Caribbean's most celebrated artists in the surrealist tradition, Ivan Tovar. 

Tovar spent a good part of his life in Paris, where he avidly became part of its cultural and artistic circles. His work was thus shown in both collective and individual exhibitions throughout the world. To this day, his paintings remain the most valued works by a Dominican artist in the international art market. 

"With this new immersive exhibit, we are supporting and giving new life to a local artist that deserves to be known and appreciated around the world, creating an experience that combines our country's history, the artist's identity, and the possibilities enabled by new technologies" stated Hector José Rizek, member of the Ivan Tovar Foundation, in charge of organizing the event. 

The exhibition, located in Santo Domingo's historic neighborhood, takes place in a 500-meter space, using state-of-the-art audio and projection equipment to display 400 images, including Tovar's works, photos, and letters. "Very few immersive exhibitions have the privilege of being backed by such a vast body of works," declared Rizek, acknowledging the contributions of numerous collectors. 

The opening ceremony got together a great representation of the Dominican Republic's artistic and academic community, along with public authorities headed by the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, who declared, "this exhibition is something unprecedented in our country, opening up new forms of expression and promotion for artists, both from and beyond our shores." 

Ivan Tovar's daring and sometimes disturbing artwork, on par with other geniuses of surrealism, now joins the list of collections that have been made available to a broader audience through immersive techniques. 

The exhibition will be open to the public until July 6. After its initial success in the Dominican capital, it is expected to be taken abroad for display in other parts of the world.