Courtesy of Aruba Tourism Authority
Aruba Art Fair (AAF), scheduled for Sept. 16-18, 2016, will showcase a wide variety of artistic expressions in all shapes and forms, including disciplines such as dance, poetry, theater, contemporary art, fashion, and music alongside a great presentation of culinary arts that will take the island of Aruba by storm. During this cultural initiative, the island will transform into a ‘One Happy Artsie Island’!
A variety of talented local artists from different disciplines have joined forces to present the official launch of Aruba Art Fair this past June. A majestic setup accompanied by a spectacular light show transformed the streets of San Nicolas into a breathtaking work of art, radiating new life into the city.
Aruba’s commitment to AAF started with the “In Route To” program, consisting of a series of amazing initiatives that compliment the collaboration of local artists and community involvement in developing the islands prestige beyond white sand beaches, tiki bars and high–end shopping by recognizing Aruba’s colors, culture, heritage and arts.
Aruba Art Fair kickstarted with the Aloe 125 competition. The contest calls 10 talented local artists to design blank, one-cubic-meter Aloe sculptures, assembled by local extraordinaire Edmond Tujeehut, with personalized Aloe Art.
Aspiring to reach and inspire future generations to be involved in local arts and culture, AAF created a unique program to involve over 20 schools and organizations to participate in Art Expression, calling students to collaborate together to create art on a three-meter canvas.
The Culinary Competition, a initiative of the tourism industry, invites six renowned executive chefs from on-island high-end hotels to compete alongside mixed teams of students of EPB and EPI to create an artistic dessert based on a provided painting chosen from six international artists.
The collaborating chefs consists of Urvin Croes of White Modern Cuisine, Erwin Hüsken of Screaming Eagle, Ever Peña of Manchebo Beach Hotel, Steven Toevs of Ritz Carlton, Patrick Donk from Amuse Bistro, Marriott Resort’s Teddy Bouroncle, and Gerard Coste of Hilton Aruba Hotels & Casino. Each chef has chosen the paintings that will be used as reference for the competition dishes.
Korteweg joined this great initiative and will unite with Aruba Art Fair, bringing their unique setup along with their familiar local artisans to San Nicolas.
As the host of this unique festival, San Nicolas looks forward to the opportunity to showcase the area’s own Mr. Mo Mohamed, one of AAF invited artists exhibiting a spatial installation of his best creations.
The concept of AAF revolves strongly around collaborating and uniting creative platforms to illustrate the rich culture of Arubianismo present on island. One of the creative platforms that joined the festival is BEAM with a group of artists in a unique Aruba Art Fair tailored format.
In addition to showcasing culinary and artistic creations, Aruba will be holding an open platform of Fashion-meets-art at the grand auction dinner on day one. A partnership including local and international artists and designers will be spotlighted in an upscale setting in the heart of San Nicholas. An exclusive appearance featuring Elisa Lejuez, Gigliola Gomez and, for the first time, grand artist Maria Theresa Madariaga and pop artist David Paulus along with Atelier Doré has been arranged specifically for Aruba Art Fair.
During this amazing initiative, 13 international artists will be in charge of transforming different buildings in Aruba, particularly in the San Nicolas area, into works of art and exposing the colorful culture and heritage of Aruba. Buildings such as the National Library (BNA), Madeirense, Setar Building, RC Cola Building and many more will house workshops for local artists.
The line up of international artists include Kobra from Brazil, Guache from Colombia, Street Art Chilango and Farid Rueda of Mexico, Fio Silva from Argentina, Leon Keer and Amsterdam Street Art of The Netherlands, Chemis of Kazakstan, Bond Truluv from Germany and Isidora Lopez of Chile.
