Public Programme

Paraíso’s public programme is presented in collaboration with Amalgama & Periferia Projects and coordinated by Daniela Youngberg.

Thursday 15 October

14:15 – Paraíso’s Vision (10-15 minutes)

A brief introduction of Paraíso’s vision by founder Javier Calderón

15:00 – Video Art as Happening: The Work of Claudia Joskowicz as a Space for Critical Discourse

A presentation of the artist’s bilingual monograph: Stillness in Motion / Quietud en movimiento (Turner: Madrid 2024), on Bolivian video artist Claudia Joskowicz. The discussion explores her film and installation practice, examining history, memory and political realities through the interplay of stillness and movement.

Participants

Claudia Joskowicz: Bolivian video artist
Dr Giuliana Borea: Senior Lecturer in Latin American Studies, New Castle University
Diego Chocano: Assistant Curator, Barbican Centre

17:00 – Latin American Art and the Networks That Circulate It (45-60 minutes)

This panel explores the international networks supporting Latin American artists, examining cross-border opportunities and ongoing challenges around funding, gender equality and access to the art market.

Participants

Sacha Craddock: Independent art critic, writer and curator.
Hall Rockefeller: Arts writer and founder of Less Than Half.
Susana de la Puente: Investment Banker, Entrepreneur and Art Collector Moderated by Lassla Esquivel: Art historian and founder of Periferia Projects.

Sponsored by ITA Airways.

Talk organised by Amalgama Art & Academy and Periferia Projects. Amalgama Art & Academy, co-run by Daniela Galan and Jane Soliman, is a London-based platform dedicated to the promotion, education and contextualisation of Latin American art, with a particular commitment to championing women artists. Founded by Lassla Esquivel, Periferia Projects is an international curatorial platform building bridges across Latin America, the UK and Europe by fostering collaborations between artists, galleries and cultural institutions. Its work spans exhibitions, advisory and professional exchange.

Friday 16 October

12:00 – Latin American Art Publications in the British Library (30-45 minutes)

British Library curators and artist Jaime Gili explore the institution’s Latin American artists’ publications and the role of print in artistic practice.

Participants

Jaime Gili: Venezuelan artist based in London.
Laurence Byrne: Lead Curator for Latin American and Caribbean Collections at the British Library.
Santiago Valencia Parra: Project Curator for Latin American Collections at the British Library and co-founder of Ají Press.

13:00 – Art in Mexico (30–60 minutes)

An introduction to Mexico as the fair’s featured country, exploring its influence on Latin American art and its cultural connections with the UK.

Participants

Javier Calderón: Founder of Paraíso and Director of Somers Gallery joined by Mexican artists and curators participating at Paraíso.

14:30 – In Conversation with River Claure: Reimagining Bolivia Through Humour, Fantasy and Photography (45 minutes)

Bolivian artist River Claure discusses his creative process and recent work, exploring how humour, play and fantasy reimagine Bolivian histories and visual identities.

Participants

River Claure: Artistv based in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
Rosa Tyhurst: Curator at Gasworks.
Vania Gonzalvez: Curator at the Barbican working across learning, participation and collective practice.

15:45 – The Institutional Gaze: A Conversation on Latin American Art Today

A discussion on the growing visibility of Latin American art in Europe, examining institutional representation, collection-building and the need for sustainable support beyond major A conversation between leading institutional voices on what this moment actually represents for Latin American art in London. The panel interrogates the current moment critically: who benefits from increased visibility, who is still absent, what happens to the artists and communities that fall outside the surge, and what would genuinely sustainable support for Latin American art look like beyond the current wave of major shows?.

Participants

Sandra Sanchez: Artist, curator, writer and editor of Onda MX.
Lotte Johnson: Curator at Barbican Art Gallery.
Lucía Sanromán: Co-curator of Liverpool Biennale 2027.

Moderated by Daniela Galan: Art historian and founder of Amalgama Art & Academy.

17:00 – Artist and photographer Alexa Torre presents her book Rosa Sublime, exploring pink as a symbol of femininity, desire, beauty, memory and power.

Participants

Alexa Torre: Photographer and visual artist based in Merida, Mexico.
Lassla Esquivel: Art historian, curator and founder of Periferia Projects.

Saturday 17 October

12:00 – Mano Vuelta: On Participation, Authorship, Obligation and Return (45–60 minutes)

Artist José García Oliva and curator Alberto Rios de la Rosa examine participation, collective authorship and cultural labour, asking how institutions can build reciprocal relationships with the communities they engage.

1:30 pm – Bolivia Through Contemporary Art: Territories, Imaginaries, and Challenges (45-60 minutes)

NUBE Gallery explores contemporary Bolivian art, considering its cultural heritage, social and political contexts, and relationship with international artistic currents. Contemporary Bolivian art emerges from the convergence of a complex cultural heritage, socio-political realities, and transnational artistic exchange. Through distinctive visual languages, Bolivian artists contribute to contemporary debates on memory, territory, identity, and ecology, expanding the plural frameworks through which contemporary art is understood.

Participants

Raquel Schwartz: Director of NUBE Gallery & KIOSKO Galería. Bolivian artist and curator.

15:45 – Women Artists at Paraíso (45–60 minutes)

A conversation with women artists exhibiting at the fair, presented by Amalgama Art & Academy.

Participants

TBC

Moderated by Daniela Galan: Art historian and founder of Amalgama Art & Academy.

17:00: Collective Management, International Circulation and the Protection of Visual Artists in Latin America (40–60 minutes)

This discussion brings together international experts in artists’ rights, copyright and intellectual property to explore how visual artists can protect their work and secure fair remuneration. Speakers from the UK, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia will share perspectives on collective rights management and the development of artists’ collecting societies across different contexts.

Participants

Kimberley Ahmet: Managing Director of Artists’ Collecting Society (ACS), UK; advocates for artists’ intellectual property rights and leads initiatives supporting artists.

Elizabeth Ambriz Olavarría: President of SOMAAP, Mexico; visual artist and cultural manager specialising in artists’ representation and collective rights management.

Fabiana Nascimento: Director of Operations and Business at AUTVIS, Brazil; specialises in collective copyright management and international artists’ rights.

Laura Villarraga Albino: IP Counsel at Bridgeman Images and Head of Art Law at Kepler-Karst; specialises in intellectual property, art law and developing a collecting society for visual artists in Colombia.

Sunday 18 October

12:00: Archiving with Urgency (45–60 minutes)

A discussion on archives as living, collaborative tools, exploring who shapes artistic records, what is preserved and how publications create space for multiple interpretations.

Participants

Gisselle Girón Casas: Curator and Art Historian
Alejandra Morote Peralta: Peruvian Artist and Art Director Gabi Salas Vidal: Literary Curator