In the dynamic realm of contemporary art, few names resonate with as much innovation, vision, and social commitment as Juan Pablo Caicedo. Hailing from Bogotá, Colombia, the 33 years old Caicedo, who has emerged as a prominent figure in multidisciplinary art and curatorial expertise, elevating Colombian art to new heights on the international stage.
NYC, 05.05.24
Andrea García
A graduate of the National University of Colombia under the prestigious PAES Special Program Admission, and a recipient of a full scholarship at the esteemed Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, his educational foundation laid the groundwork for his remarkable career trajectory.
At just 20 years old, Caicedo’s talent was recognized on a national scale when he became a finalist in the First National Drawing Competition. His winning piece, «Mandala,» exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art MAC, marked the beginning of a prolific artistic exploration that would captivate audiences worldwide.
Caicedo has blossomed into an outstanding visual artist who has made advancements in contemporary graphic art and muralism, with a wide portfolio of visual art works made in collage, screenprint, drawings and etchings, as well as paintings in vinyl and spray that have been exhibited at the most prestigious galleries and museum, such as El Museo Colonial, the Ministry of Culture of Colombia, Taller Trez Gallery, Arts Santa Monica among other international galleries in Colombia and internationally.
Caicedo has dedicated his talent to creating art projects that focus on social and environmental conflicts, decoloniality, and critical urbanism. As a prominent Latin American artist and curator, his eco-social installation projects have been celebrated on all continents. In his previous role as Artistic Director of the renowned Atempo Collective Foundation, Caicedo brought the organization to the forefront of social life in Colombia. While at Atempo, Caicedo led the memorable artistic project Lead Life, a national campaign that highlighted the work of Colombian community leaders through a series of large-scale murals in various cities across the country. This initiative, supported by coveted grants that Caicedo secured from USAID and The Heinrich Böll Foundation, made Atempo a significant revivalist of the Latin American muralism tradition in Colombia. The campaign, in which Caicedo strategically placed monumental murals in five major Colombian cities, revitalized urban spaces with vibrant social narratives and cultural reflections. Lead Life not only celebrated the rich heritage of Latin American muralism but also reshaped public art perception in Colombia, emphasizing art as a powerful tool for social engagement and dialogue.
«The murals served as a call to solidarity,» noted Leonardo Reales, Manager of the Human Rights Program at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a key supporter of the Atempo’s Lead Life campaign, highlighting the transformative power of art.
Now, Juan Pablo Caicedo is reshaping the narrative on the coca plant. Through his interdisciplinary curatorial masterpiece, COCAWORLDS, which has recently been exhibited at renowned galleries in the United States, including Canal Projects and Taller Boricua in New York to great acclaim, integrates audiovisual installations, plastic arts, and silk fabrics dyed with coca leaf extracts, the visionary artist and curator is reframing the coca plant as a sacred, healing, and nourishing element intrinsic to Amazonian and Andean indigenous cultures. Marking a significant departure from the tainted reputation of coca as merely a precursor to cocaine, COCAWORLDS – a winner of the prestigious Hear Us Award in 2023 – delves into the cultural and spiritual significance of the coca plant, transcending stereotypes and fostering an open dialogue on its multifaceted nature.
«In this moment when Colombia’s identity is ‘spotlighted’ by Netflix series like Griselda, we must reveal the essence of the coca plant beyond the negative lens of narcotics production, expanding the color palette by presenting our stories and cultures in tones that have been overlooked,» reflects Caicedo.
Continuing his quest for justice through art, Caicedo’s COCAWORLDS exhibition is preparing to return in September 2024 at the UN Summit of the Future. This high-profile global forum represents a unique opportunity to foster global cooperation on critical challenges, address governance gaps, reaffirm commitments to Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Charter, and forge a more inclusive multilateral framework for global progress. It is an ideal platform for an exhibition that has been changing the perception of Colombia’s natural heritage for the better.