Unicauca talent has been selected to engage in dialogue with the work of Fernando Botero in "Contrapuntos: Botero and Six Contemporary Artists from Cauca," an exhibition that reflects on the connection between territory and culture in southwestern Colombia.

The exhibition, open from December 18, 2024, to June 1, 2025, at the Guillermo León Valencia House Museum in Popayán, is structured around four thematic counterpoints: the body, festivities, the sacred, and not-so-still lives. This initiative turns the capital of our department into a stage for deep artistic reflection.

Organized by the National Museum of Colombia and the Ministry of Cultures, Arts, and Knowledge, "Contrapuntos: Botero and Six Contemporary Artists from Cauca" brings a contemporary approach to Popayán by fostering a creative dialogue between the works of master Fernando Botero and the talent of six Unicaucano artists: Julieth Morales, Leidy Chávez, Alex Rodríguez, Richard Bravo, William Bahos, and Miller Ordoñez. Through their artistic practices, these creators explore the complex relationships in southwestern Colombia and the traditions that shape the region.

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Fernando Botero’s work (Medellín, 1932 – Monaco, 2023) delves into corporeality and volume, offering a distinctive perspective on the reality of our country. His art reveals the complexities of identity and culture through exaggerated forms that reflect our territory. The exhibition features seven Botero works from the National Museum of Colombia’s collection alongside pieces by these six contemporary artists, structured around four thematic counterpoints: the body, festivities, the sacred, and not-so-still lives. This setting transforms Popayán into a space for profound reflection on territory, culture, and the interaction between humans and their environment.

It is important to highlight that this exhibition is the result of a coordinated effort led by Alexandra Collazos, director of the Guillermo León Valencia House Museum. With pride, she expressed: “This is an initiative I have been requesting for four years from the National Museum’s Traveling Exhibitions Program. I truly wanted the House Museum to provide the opportunity for the people of Cauca and Popayán to enjoy the works of master Botero. That is why we also sought to create an encounter, a dialogue with artists from Cauca.”

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In this effort, the National Museum of Colombia and the Ministry of Culture invited Professor Jim Luis Fannkugen Salas from our institution—an esteemed cultural manager—to lead the curatorship of this exhibition. His distinguished career, especially as the promoter of Para Verte Mejor, the oldest video art exhibition in Colombia, earned him this role. For 17 years, this initiative has fostered a dialogue between art and technology from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Cauca. The curatorship has been developed collaboratively by Professor Fannkugen and Cristian Padilla, a national expert on Botero’s work and a recognized emerging talent. Together, they have designed a curatorial script that interweaves Botero’s paintings with contemporary pieces by Unicaucano artists, creating a unique exhibition that should not be missed.

"For me, it is very important to showcase how many of these artists were once students, then graduates, and now colleagues who have engaged in academic processes within the same faculty. This exhibition presents them from a new perspective—not as students or alumni, but as fellow artists presenting their own proposals. Establishing these dialogues, creating these bridges between what is considered national or international art—thinking of Botero’s work—and the art created here in the region, was my main focus. That is what mattered most to me: weaving those bridges, or as the exhibition’s title suggests, creating these counterpoints," expressed Professor Fannkugen with enthusiasm.

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From this regional center of thought, where we are deeply committed to confronting violence through art, we take great pride in seeing Unicaucano graduates achieve such recognition. Throughout their careers, they have represented the University of Cauca on national and international stages. Seeing them return with the works of a master like Botero fills us with immense satisfaction. Since this exhibition offers a unique and unprecedented artistic experience, we invite our community and the public to visit and enjoy it—an exhibition that, without a doubt, serves as an opportunity to celebrate art in its various forms, promote local talent, and build bridges between the past and present of Colombian art.

We hope that during this festive season, visiting the Guillermo León Valencia House Museum, located at Calle 5 #9-82, will become a must-do plan!

Written by: Communications Management Center