Veerle Poupeye's blog about art in the Caribbean and beyond
At the opening of the Jamaica, Jamaica exhibition "The National Gallery nah keep again?", said one artist scathingly; another quipped if "the National Gallery had been postponed?"; and yet another marveled at how a postponement announcement could also be a museum's first public announcement about a particular exhibition. They were all responding to the National... Continue Reading →
Some time in late 2018, the National Gallery of Jamaica decided to cancel the Jamaica Biennial, of which two editions had been held, in 2014 and 2017. The Jamaica Biennial was the re-conceptualized successor to the National Biennial and, before that, the Annual National Exhibitions. While still hamstrung by the expectations and entitlements that had... Continue Reading →
Katrina Coombs - Golden Flow This is part two of a two-part post. The first part can be found here. Taking a closer look at the NGJ Summer Exhibition reveals a few pleasant surprises but also pulls the exhibition’s weaknesses and failings into sharper perspective. Perhaps the most outstanding work in the exhibition is Lucille... Continue Reading →
The young Jamaican painter Kimani Beckford currently has a solo-exhibition tour project, titled Affirmation. The exhibition is shown at two venues: its inaugural display was held at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston, in space that is used for art exhibitions by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), and has now closed. The second leg... Continue Reading →
For some time now, the Jamaican and Caribbean art world has been buzzing with questions about the next Jamaica Biennial. Launched in 2014, as the successor to the National Biennial and, before that, the Annual National exhibitions, the second Jamaica Biennial was originally scheduled to be held in December-March 2016, as had been the... Continue Reading →
I have a bee in my bonnet. And I have been writing about it here and there on social media, as those who follow me on Facebook will have noticed. It is about the incestuousness, the cliquishness, and the endemic conflict of interest issues that plague the Caribbean art world. Issues that are, if they... Continue Reading →
Perspectives 