Venezuelan artists showcase diaspora narratives at London Art Fair

Four Venezuelan artists exhibited their works at the first edition of the Paraíso Latin American Art Fair in London, the first fair in the United Kingdom dedicated exclusively to Latin American art.

The event took place near the Frieze London art fair, providing a specific space for artists from the continent to move from the margins to a central position in the international art scene. Lucia Pizzani presented works that explore plant intelligence and ecological systems.

She used materials like English clay, Mexican corn, and seeds from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest to create sculptures and photosensitive prints. Her work shifts the focus away from humans to examine how plants communicate and survive, linking geological time with modern climate concerns. Oscar Pabón used his background as an architect to create sculptures that investigate urban structures and memory. He presented a piece made of modified terracotta bricks and Persian rugs to question Western modernity.

His work transforms ordinary construction materials into tools to explore how people build collective memory and navigate physical spaces. José García Oliva showcased projects that highlight the invisible work of migrant laborers. He used vacuum hoses as listening devices and broom bristles to create landscapes that document the lives of cleaning staff and agricultural workers in the United Kingdom. His art explores the human networks that support urban institutions while questioning the boundaries of Latin American identity.

Jaime Gili presented abstract paintings that merge geometric traditions with organic landscapes. His project, Conuco, draws from his memories of small farms in Petare and literary references to explore cultural resistance. He uses curves and vegetation to disrupt traditional geometric grids, reflecting on the relationship between nature, history, and the experience of living in the diaspora.