Vanessa Sandoval, Fifth Sara Modiano Grant

The Fifth Sara Modiano Grant organized by the Sara Modiano Foundation for the Arts was unanimously awarded to Colombian artist Vanessa Sandoval (Cali, 1990) for her proposal titled "Studies for Nothingness." The exhibition is scheduled to open during the first semester of 2018 at La Casita, a cultural space located in the city of Bogota. For this fifth edition of the event, the prize panel was formed by head curator, José Roca, guest curator (for the second year in a row), Cecilia Fajardo, and guest curator Claudia Segura. About Sandoval's project, the members of the jury concluded that: "'Studies for Nothingness' is a very interesting multidisciplinary project because it proposes turning the practical and the expensive into a highly poetic gesture with several vanishing lines. To some extent, the piece functions as an antidote to the capitalist efficiency model we live in. In addition, the project is deliberately positioned in Colombian territory, implicitly analyzing the country's political, economic, ecological, and social conditions. Conceptually, it proposes that the archive resulting from each action achieves a formal likeness to the object under study, where gestures eventually transform into a sort of symbolic, non-territorial cartography with ecological implications." Vanessa Sandoval is a relatively young artist with an artistic career that includes several solo and group exhibitions, as well as recognitions including fellowships and internships awarded by the Ministry of Culture in Colombia. From October to November of this year, Sandoval has been completing an art residency in Cittadellarte—Fondazione Pistoletto in the city of Biella, Italy. This fifth edition of the award is consolidated as a cultural initiative that supports young art in Colombia. Since its inception, the Sara Modiano Grant has sought to encourage the careers of Colombian artists under the age of 35 who demonstrate a combination of professionalism, artistic talent, and a need for financial support.