The curator and cultural representative Jorge Jaramillo Jaramillo—who at the time was the director of the Galería Santa Fe at the Planetarium in Bogota—discusses several matters regarding the first edition of the Premio Luis Caballero [Luis Caballero Prize] (1996). In this brief essay, published in the event catalogue, he discusses the context in which the project was conceived and lists its contributions, which he considers to be of value to the field of Colombian visual arts. Among these he mentions: the promotion of an “intermediate” generation of artists over the age of 35; the challenge of creating art to fit the gallery’s architectural space; and the dispensing of grants that acknowledge creativity over commercial attributes. Jaramillo also discusses the mechanisms used for selecting and grading the submissions. He mentions the activities that involve the public, and expresses his thanks to the people who helped to make this “experiment” possible.   

This document is important because it describes Jorge Jaramillo’s vision for the Premio Luis Caballero [Luis Caballero Prize], the event he created in 1996 (and which still survives) while he was the director of the Galería Santa Fe, the main exhibition space in Bogota. This document also reports on the new curatorial practices and approaches that were being introduced in the 1990s in Colombia, moves designed to seek independence from the commercial circuit and develop compelling strategies for the promotion of contemporary art. These were considered necessary steps to confront the challenges of the new millennium and were, in fact, ratified by subsequent events organized by the Galería, including the Barrio Biennial, the curatorial projects at the Galería Santa Fe’s Sala Alterna, and the support for cultural publications such as the Revista Valdéz [Valdéz Magazine].    

The Prize was named for the Colombian artist Luis Caballero—[for more information, see “Los signos del cuerpo” [Body Signs] by Carolina Ponce de León, doc. # 1088894]—and is currently (2009) in its fifth edition. The jurors for the first edition were Eduardo Serrano (b. 1939) and Alberto Sierra, both of whom were Colombians, and Francisco Gil Tovar (b. 1923) from Spain. The Colombian artists selected for the first edition were Luis Fernando Peláez (b. 1945), Hugo Zapata (b. 1945), John Castles (b. 1946), Álvaro Barrios (b. 1945), Ronny Wayda (b. 1954), Jorge Ortiz (b. 1948), Nadín Ospina (b. 1960), Gabriel Silva, Víctor Laignelet (b. 1955), Rodrigo Facundo (b. 1958), and María Teresa Hincapié (1954-2008). 

El Planetario [The Planetarium] is located in the international center of the city of Santa Fe de Bogota. It was created in 1969 as part of the cultural program proposed by the Mayor, Virgilio Barco Vargas (1921-97) to create museums and exhibition spaces that would provide educational venues and places of interest for residents and tourists alike. This Cultural Center original housed the Planetario, the Museum of Natural Science, the District Cinematec, and the Museum of Modern Art of Bogota. After a remodel in 2000, the Planetario now includes the Teatro de Estrellas [Theater of the Stars], the Museo de Bogota (what was once the Museo de Desarrollo Urbano [Museum of Urban Development]), the Galería Santa Fe, and the Sala Oriol Rangel [Oriol Rangel Salon]. 

Jorge Jaramillo Jaramillo earned his Master’s degree in Visual Arts at the University of Antioquia. He has worked as a producer, curator, museographer, and cultural administrator at public and private Colombian institutions since 1983. His curatorial projects include: Demostraciones: Feliza Bursztyn, Bernardo Salcedo, Lucy Tejada, años cincuenta [Demonstrations: Feliza Bursztyn, Bernardo Salcedo, Lucy Tejada, The 1950s], and Beatriz Daza, hace mucho tiempo 1956-1968 [Beatriz Daza, Long Ago 1956-1968], among others. Jaramillo is currently (2009) the Manager of Visual Art at the Gilberto Álzate Avendaño Foundation, a division of the Secretaría de Cultura Recreación y Deporte [Ministry of Recreation, Culture, and Sport].