This past Saturday by the
title Plata_Forma, took place a fundraising event for plastic artist Jotham Malavé. The activity was organized by the workshop and exhibition space La Productora, located in Santurce Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican artist was chosen this year to exhibit several artworks at the tenth Florence Biennale in Italy.
The organization of the event was great. It was divided into
different stations including two bars, bbq area with homemade delicacies
prepared by Martin Albarrán (creator of La Productora) and a cozy stage. The
guests arrived and bought tickets for drinks/food and redeemed them at the
stations.
Jotham personally welcomed guests. This action created a trust enviroment to the event as it allowed direct contact with the artist, making people interact with him and understand how important was this event for his career. He was also offering a package that included several drinks, food and a silkscreen created in collaboration with One Hand Printing. This was a must for collectors.
On the
musical side, several artists made their collaboration: Rafael Vargas Bernard,
Jazz, Jufe, Payola, La Exitosa, Louis 1981 I AM DJ and glory D 'Marquesina entertained
the big crowd all night. La Exitosa band (composed by artists Michael Linares
and Jesus Bubu Negrón, among others) delighted the guests with their electronic
melodies, trance and mergers with salsa. Their music penetrated deep into the audience, dancing on a journey that deepened further with each zip of beer.
Within the
workshop, there was a selection of works of the artist with its recurring themes of bondage and sadomasochism worked for some time ago. A
painting of a tied woman in a black bag sitting in a corner of an empty house,
created different responses on viewers wondering whether she was dead or alive.
On another wall, people could appreciate drawings created with great detail, depicting men
with clothespins on their lips as if they were enjoying pain, waiting to experience other ways to
feel that pleasure again.
Other Puerto Rican artists collaborated exposing their artworks. Among them was Emmanuel Torres Perez (aka Calandrino Silvestre) with a bright colored painting that makes you wonder about
childhood (presence of a dog, a boy and plants everywhere). André Pagano gave us a sneak peak of one of
his pieces from the series: Dark Matter. He deals with recycled car tires cut into small pieces and transformed into a paste,
creating worlds similar to places in other planets focusing on asphalt-like grounds on top of the canvases.
It was a good night filled with friendship, networking and good vibes. Once again La Productora proved that in union there is strength and that through
collaboration with the correct sponsors, artists, collectors, art and music
lovers; they can all help artists achieve their dreams. Much success in
Florence!
