This text by Colombian artist and curator Miguel Rojas Sotelo is the introduction to the book Proyecto Pentágono, investigaciones sobre arte moderno en Colombia (2000). In it, Rojas Sotelo provides a reflection on curatorial practice and its relationship to the specific context in which it ensues and reaches the public. The text consists of six sections, each one based on a specific issue: (1) Why is so-and-so not included in this exhibition? (2) Who is who to determine what something is and is not? (3) How can this be the crux of the exhibition? (4) […] And what does that have to do with lived reality in Colombia? (5) Anybody could have made that! (6) They could have come up with something…more viewer-friendly. By addressing these topics, Rojas Sotelo discusses curatorial practice on the basis of the ideas of theorists and internationally recognized curators.

While he lived in his native Colombia, Miguel Rojas Sotelo held a number of important positions in the cultural sphere. When this book was published (2000), he was the head of the Visual Arts Division of the Colombian Ministerio de Cultura.

Rojas Sotelo’s reflection focuses on curatorial practice and that is the groundwork for his presentation of the compilation of texts in this book. He asserts that an exhibition must be conceived on the basis of what he calls an “idea-force” whose origin lies in curatorial decisions. Rojas Sotelo states, “the [curator’s] decision must act like a backdrop: an idea-force that binds together the entire machinery that operates behind the scenes to yield certain results. This concept is essential to Proyecto Pentágono.” 

Proyecto Pentágono is the title of a publication featuring texts by five researchers working on contemporary art, and the forms of expression that took shape in Colombia in the nineties. The titles and topics of the texts published in this book are “Historia, escenas e intervalos: fotografía y video” by Juan Fernando Herrán (b. 1963); “Actos de fabulación: arte, cuerpo y pensamiento” by Consuelo Pabón; “Materialismos: imágenes en 3D” by Jaime Cerón (b. 1967) and Humberto Junca (b. 1968); “Después del límite: dibujo y pintura” by María Iovino (b. 1962) [see doc. no. 1079673]; “En la historia: dibujo y pintura” by María Iovino; “Espacios entretejidos: Arte, moda y vestido” by Javier Gil (b. 1965) and María Claudia Parias (b. 1967). 

Though the original idea was to hold exhibitions and engage in further research on the basis of the aforementioned curatorial proposals, this did not occur due to budgetary restrictions. Exhibitions on the topics “Actos de fabulación” and “Materialismos” did in fact take place. The book was published in 2000 owing to the support of the Ministerio de Cultura.

The content of Proyecto pentágono is an important point of reference in the study and analysis of contemporary art due to the professionalism of the participants and the seriousness of their ideas, and also because of the artists and works discussed. It provides an overview of Colombian art from the late nineties, a period that witnessed a major transformation in art as well as in the discourse on the visual arts and language.