Meet the Next Generation of Colombian Artists at the 1K Art Show 2023

Between elitism, speculative pricing and a general lack of diversity, the contemporary art and design world has too long been fostering a close-minded outlook, making the need for democratizing art increasingly apparent. By bringing a careful curation of Colombian art to a global hotspot of the creative industry, New York City, the 1K Art Show has made it its mission to accomplish exactly that: to democratize art for the general public and to provide emerging Colombian artists with an international platform.

This year’s rendition of the 1K Art Show will open from Thursday, June 08, to Sunday, June 11, at The New Work Project in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and will feature the work by Alejandra Quintero, Camilo Villegas, Gonzalo García, Jerónimo Villa, Juan Mejía Parra, María Alejandra Torres, Miguel Guevara, Natalia Mejía, Rodrigo Spinel, and Vanessa Nieto.

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Born from a collaboration between the well-established art fair, Feria Del Millón, and Tove Gallery, the 1K Art Show is presenting its second edition featuring the work of ten of the leading newcomers from Colombia at a price point of around $1,000. From sculpture and photography to mixed media, the curators and organisers of the exhibition, Juan Rincón and Silvana Vergara, aim to showcase the diversity of Colombian art and beyond this, delve deeper into critical issues of today.

“[E]ach of the artworks presented in this second edition of the 1K Art Show relates the spectator to questions about the different layers that define us as a contemporary society. Whether it’s through genre, race or economic issues,” Rincón emphasizes. “We are very interested in the idea that art, regardless of its price or the age of the artist, has to be a window for us to examine ourselves in the world.”

An overarching theme is the artists’ desire to share the lived experience of neglected social groups in Colombian society. Whilst Miguel Guevara deals with the socio-economic impact of sugar cane monocultures leading to labour exploitation through using sugar cane as both the subject matter and material, Alejandra Quintero shines a light on the life of albinos in Bogota through an intimate series of photographs titled “Overexposed”.

“The main mission of this show has been to democratize art, to act as an entry gate for people who never thought of themselves as collectors to have access to great art and become art enthusiasts.”

– Silvana Vergara, co-founder of Tove Gallery & 1K Art Show

Apart from the socially critical thematics, this year’s artists were also selected for mastering their respective mediums. “[W]e tried to bring a group that was diverse in every sense but primarily focusing on artists who had great material explorations and really were pushing boundaries with materiality,” explains Vergara. These material experimentations manifest themselves in the use of unexpected materials, such as Vanessa Nieto’s “Lechos”, in which she recreates mattresses from the streets of Bogota to create one-of-a-kind lithographs and prints, but also the examination of formal qualities.

Top to bottom, left to right: Camilo Villegas’ “Folded Paper” series, Natalia Mejía’s “Galaxy” project, María Alejandra Torres’ “Dividivi” piece, Vanessa Nieto’s “Vechos” lithographs

The selection of artists for this year’s 1K Art Show speaks volumes about the artistic scene in Colombia as “[i]t has undergone a very interesting process that has led to a generation of artists that have not only been able to establish an independent voice but have also contributed quite an interesting way to the contemporary artistic realm,” according to Rincón. In this sense, this year’s edition of the 1K Art Show provides New York City with a window into the fascinating developments in Colombian art at a price point that also allows its visitors to make these artworks their own.

Check out the 1K Art Show from June 08-11 at The New Work Project in Brooklyn, NYC, and RSVP now >