The artist, curator, and researcher from Costa Rica, Virginia Pérez Ratton, describes the exhibition A contra corriente [Against the Current] that took place at Galería TEOR/éTica in Costa Rica in 2005 and which included works by Lygia Pape , Gego (Gertrud Goldschmidt), and Mira Schendel. Pérez Ratton emphasizes the importance of the Cisneros Collection, organizers of the exhibition, in the dissemination of Latin American art not only outside of the region but also within Latin America itself. Perez Ratton finds in the works of Pape, Gego, and Schendel important similarities among which stand out: the freedom in aesthetic practices that dominate the art scene of the time (2005); the intimate atmosphere that comes out of their works; and the use of precarious materials and rebellious attitude that stands in opposition to the rigor of geometric art. Additionally, Perez Ratton contrasts these figures with Central American artists such as Priscilla Monge, Patricia Bell, and Lucía Madriz.

This essay written by the artist, curator, and researcher from Costa Rica Virginia Pérez Ratton (1950–2010) is part of the publication Ecos y Contrastes. Arte Contemporáneo en la Colección Cisneros [Echoes and Contrasts: Contemporary Art in the Cisneros Collection], published in 2005, and which served as the catalog for an exhibition of the same name held at the Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo, San José, Costa Rica and at the Museo de Arte de El Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador. The text written by Pérez Ratton refers to A Contra Corriente, a parallel exhibition to Ecos y Contrastes presented at Galería TEOR/éTica, located in San Jose, Costa Rica. This essay touches on several essential aspects concerning Latin American arts. First, the importance of [establishing] a smart tradition of art collecting that is steeped in research and that is cogent. This will allow the establishment of meaningful conversations between the artists who are entering these art collections. And, secondly, [the essay] stresses on the need to disseminate these lines of inquiry, once established. Along the same lines, Pérez Ratton creates points of contact between the three artists in the show—Lygia Pape (1927–2004), Gego (1912–1994) and Mira Schendel (1919–1988)—all iconic figures in Latin American art.