SOURCES: El País. "www.elpais.cr". /David Carrasco

Panama City, Feb 16 (DPA) - From April 15 th to May 30 th , 2013, Panama will become the venue of the First Biennial of the South "Summoning Worlds", in commemoration of the V Centennial of the Discovery of the South Sea by the Spaniard Vasco Núñez de Balboa, and the encounter of cultures.

This was confirmed on Saturday to DPA by the Panamanian Capital District Mayor, Roxana Mendez, who proposed that the metropolis be taken over by over 250 artists from 65 countries, having great impact on urban, historical and social spaces.

The works of the participating artists will include paintings, sculptures, photographs, videos, street murals, neo-graffiti and performances, with topics ranging from water conservation, to a more humane economy and the search for peace by the peoples of the world.

"Throughout the Biennial, we intend to transform Panama City into an artistic showcase. This project commemorates in a certain manner, the encounter of culture, making this country become the destination of "culturalism" and universal expressions, expressed the head of the municipality.

Mendez stated that the main idea of the initiative is that through the 500 works submitted, the world's artists will "dress-up Panama City", its outdoor spaces, open and closed places, walls and streets with artwork of the highest quality.

Among the guests of the Biennial of the South Colombian painter, sculptor and illustrator Fernando Botero will be present with an exposition of 61 oil paintings called "The Viacrucis" which will honor the V Centennial. Additionally, the Spanish collective of urban artists "BOAmistura" that has executed projects in South Africa, Norway, Germany and Brazil will participate.

In fact, Spain will participate in the Biennial of the South with the Alcobendas Collection, an exhibition of contemporary photographs that will come to America for the first time, revealed the Spanish cultural curator José María Díaz-Maroto, who supports the cultural project in Panama.

The list of invited intellectuals includes international curators such as Clara Astiasarán, Llilian Yanez, Jose Manuel Noceda and Nelson Herrera.

The Panamanian mayor pointed out that emerging artists will have the opportunity to form networks with colleagues from other countries and she stressed that "art can be in the street, for the delight of the people", without having to limit it to art galleries and private halls.

In this regard, the Panamanian painter Olga Sinclair told DPA that "the Biennale of the South opens Panama to a large door that was ajar." Sinclair also believes that the decision to bet on culture allows the capital to be transformed into a "large urban museum" that will welcome intellectual proposals and ideas from the community. For the Panamanian painter, one of the main benefits of the cultural event is that 40 percent of the works will remain in Panama for their permanent exhibition to art lovers.

The Colombian Luz Botero, advisor to the Biennale of the South, said the programmed initiative in Panama evokes the bustling Biennials of Havana, Sao Paulo and Venice, and will turn Panama City into a mandatory reference point for Ibero-american cultural.

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