2023 IMPACT REPORT
CONTEMPORARY
ART OF EL SALVADOR
2023 was an important year for YES Contemporary. The institution is now 9 years old. During this time, YES Contemporary has been characterized by being a project that is constantly evolving in an effort to be responsive to the necessities of the Salvadoran art professionals. On that note, YES is now starting to expand and develop its educational program through the YES Contemporary Institute. Through this program, we aim to foster critical thinking and research surrounding Salvadoran art.
During this time, YES collaborative network has been constantly growing as well, which has allowed exciting collaborations between Salvadoran artists and renowned international art professionals and institutions. For instance, in 2023 YES Contemporary and the Parrish Art Museum presented a solo exhibition by artist Studio Lenca as the first of three solo shows by Salvadoran artists that will take place in consecutive years at the Museum.
At this point we are also glad to note that the insterest in Salvadoran and Central American art has been growing steadily, and now is not unussual to find an important number of artists participating in relevant exbitions, prominent Art Bienials and events worldwide. For example, in the 2023 edition of ARCO there were 7 exhibitions featuring Salvadoran artists in Madrid. Similarly, during Art Basel Miami Beach 6 artists were presenting exhibtions and 2 talks addressing Salvadoran arts took place.
And while this presence is important, it is important to acknowledge the heart of YES Contemporary remains in El Salvador. For this reason, we are now dedicated to strengthen the YES Contemporary Art Trip program. Motivated by a record of international visitors in 2023, we are making a reality the dream of establishing El Salvador and Central America as a must-see destination for international professionals.
Just Say Y.ES
MARIO CADER-FRECH
Y.ES Contemporary Founder
EL SALVADOR ART TRIP
JANUARY 23-27
From January 24-26, YES Contemporary invited 7 international art professionals to visit El Salvador as part of the YES Contemporary Art Trips Program. The trip provided an introduction to the countries creative institutions, artist practices and culturally significant sites and activities.
5 DAYS
ART SPACES
7 GUESTS
Arden Sherman
Norton Museum
Isolde Brielmeier
New Museum
Marcela Guerrero
Whitney Museum Of American Art
Mónica Ramírez-Montagut
Parrish Art Museum
Thiago De Paula Souza
Independent Curator
Larry Ossei-Mensah
Independent Curator
Jillian Mayer
Artist
DECEMBER 7-8
2 DAYS
2 GUESTS 8 ART SPACES 15+ARTISTS
Manuel Segade
Reina Sofía Museum
Borja Bas
Director of special actions at ICONO and MODA S
MORE VISITS
Aditionally, YES Contemporary supported the independent visits by Dominic Christie, the Research Director at Cecilia Brunson Projects, London, in march 2023, as well as the Mondriaan Funds Orientation trip in October 2023, which brought to El Salvador 15 artists and curators, along with Mondriaan’s Senior project officer Haco de Ridder, to provide an overview of contemporary art scene in El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama.
In preparation for the 2024 YES Contemporary Art Trip, the Guatemalan curator Enrique Morales from Proyectos Ultravioleta visited El Salvador for 3 days to conduct an innitial research of Salvadoran artist for the exhibition “Subjetividades: Estrategias Identitarias” that will feature artists from El Salvador and Guatemala during the 2024 YES Art Trip at the Museum of Art of El Salvador MARTE.
27 TOTAL VISITORS DURING 2023
Y.ES CONTEMPORARY ART LOAN PROGRAM
Studio Lenca presented Chisme at Parrish Art Museum . Chisme is an installation of 15 painted woodcut figures depicting Latin migrant workers. The show was on view from March 12 to April 16, 2023. Chisme installation was donated to Parrish Art Museum by the Founder of Y.ES Contemporary, Mario Cader-Frech, with the goal of augmenting the roster of Latin-American artists in the Parrish permanent collection.
The installation captures the moment a group of Latinx figures enter into the white walled space of an Art gallery. The work explores themes of exclusion from the artist’s own experience of the arts. The gallery, a complex ecosystem of social codes linked to historical issues of class and race are transgressed and disrupted by the work. 5 pieces of Chisme installation remain part of the YES Contemporary Art Loan Program and are available for loan for instututions and art spaces.
ABIGAIL REYES AT NORTON ART MUSEUM AND THE CULTURAL CENTER OF SPAIN IN MEXICO
Abigail Reyes presented her video “Sí Señor”, at Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida. The video was part of the exhibition Reflecting the Gaze: Jillian Mayer and Abigail Reyes curated by Arden Sherman, who visited El Salvador as part of YES Contemporary Art Trips in January 2023. The exhibition opened with a talk featuring both artists. The exhibition was on view from August 12 to September 17, 2023.
Additionally, Abigail Reyes ipresented “Sí Señor”, at the Cultural Center of Spain in Mexico, as part of the program Cine_Z. The video was presented on March 25 along with a selection of videos by artists from Latin America addressing themes related to gender.
GUADALUPE MARAVILLA AT SAO PAULO BIENNIAL
New York-based Salvadoran artist Guadalupe Maravilla participated at the 35th Bienal de São Paulo in Brazil, “Choreographies of the Impossible”. Maravilla presented the sculpture Disease Thrower #4 which is part of YES Contemporary Art Loan Program, along with other works from the same series. Additionally, Guadalupe activated the sculptures through healing sound bath ceremonies.
The exhibition was on view from September 6 to December 10, 2023.
Y.ES CONTEMPORARY INSTITUTE
The Y.ES Contemporary Institute is a program focused on professional development and education in arts, that provide the participants with theoretical and practical tools to foster the development of projects that enter into dialogue with the global art systems and contemporary thought situated from the Salvadoran context.
Through this program YES has created the The YES Contemporary Institute Fellowship Program, that brings together a group of 5 Salvadoran professionals to participate in activities focused on professional development and education. In 2023, YES Fellows participated in the second year of a 3-year program that includes special workshops, talks, international residencies, internships, exhibitions and grants. The 2022-2024 Y.ES Contemporary Fellows are Antonio Romero, Amanda Hernández, Aria XYX, Gabriela Novoa and Natalia Domínguez.
Y.ES TALK MIAMI ART WEEK KICK-OFF
YES Contemporary International director Omar Lopez-Chahoud and YES
Programming Director Patricio Majano participated in a panel discussion on November 28th, 2023, at Intercontinental Hotel in Doral, Miami. The panel was organized by Doral Museum and moderated by Dainy Tapia from ArtSeen365.
Y.ES TALK AT ARCO MADRID
On February 23, YES Contemporary presented the forum “El Pulso en Mesoamérica” as part of ARCO Madrid Collector’s Forum Program. Participants included Inés Katzenstein from MoMA, Carla Acevedo-Yates from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago MCA, and Mario Cader-Frech , founder of YES Contemporary. The talk was moderated by YES Contemporary International Director, Omar Lopez-Chahoud .
On February 22, YES curator and International Director Omar Lopez-Chahoud conducted a guided visit as part of ARCO Guest Program to the Halls 002.15 and 002.17 at Reina Sofía Museum , which feature works from artists from Guatemala and El Salvador on view indefinitely in the museum’s permanent collection. These works were part of a donation by Y.ES Founder and Chairperson, Mario Cader-Frech in 2020.
107 ATTENDEES TO THE GUIDED VISIT
Y.ES EXHIBITIONS AND ART RESIDENCIES
DURING ARCO MADRID
YES Fellow Gabriela Novoa participated in a residency at LEA Lab of Experimental Art from February 5 to March 5. On February 24, she presented “Narrativas del Deseo”, a screening and exhibition featuring new work created during the residency. This residency was part of the YES Contemporary Institute Program and was made in collaboration with Atelier Solar, Doral Contemporary Art Museum and Air Europa.
YES Fellow Aria XYX participated in an Art Residency at Usera, from January 17 to February 14. On February 19, Aria presented her solo exhibition “ Más allá del Cuerpo” featuring new work created during the residency. This residency was part of the YES Contemporary Institute Program.
YES Fellow Antonio Romero presented a solo exhibition at Memoria Gallery on February 25. The exhibition in on view until April 4, 2023 and was curated by YES Alumni Alejandro de Villota , who visited El Salvador in 2017.
Top image: Gabriela Novoa’s exhibition at LEA.
Additionally, Madrid-based Salvadoran artists Rafael Díaz, conducted guided visits to his 2021 project project at Hospital Gregorio Marañón created for the users and patients of the nuclear medicine department.
Left: Aria XYX exhibition at Usera. Right: Antonio Romero’s exhibition at Memoria Gallery.
Y.ES FELLOWS RESEARCH TRIP
TO PAIZ BIENNIAL
YES Fellows visited the XXIII Paiz Art Biennial in Guatemala as part of a 4 day research trip focused in the artsits and spaces present in Guatemalan environment. This edition of Paiz Biennial was curated by Francine Birbragher-Rozencwaig and Juan Canela , with the support of the curatorial council that includes Minia Biabiany , Marilyn Boror Bor , Duen Sacchi and Juana Valdés .
During the trip, YES Fellows visited: 5
WORKSHOPS AND LECTURES
Brasilian independent curator Thiago de Paula Souza conducted a one-day intensive workshop after participating in the YES Contemporary Ar Trip. Attendants included YES Contemporary Institute Felows and other artists. Thiago de Paula Souza is a curator and educator interested in stretching and re-elaborating the exhibition format as well as in contemporary art and education’s ability to rethink the past and produce new ethical codes.
NÓMADA is an art education program for artists in Central America. Developed since 2010 by the Experimental School of Art , in 2023 the program promoted an exchange between artists from El Salvador and Honduras. The program focused in the developement and curation of projects by 10 Salvadoran artsits including YES Fellows. Image: “Más allá del instante”, by Amanda Hernández
Berlin-based Albanian artist represented by KOW Gallery Anna Ehrenstein visited El Salvador along with Berlin-based artsit Sunny Pfalzer for one month, to work on a collaborative performance piece with Salvadoran artists Lucy Tomasino and Alexa Evangelista. Additionally, the artist conducted a two day workshop focused in arts writin.
MORE EXHIBITIONS BY SALVADORAN ARITSTS
MURIEL HASBUN AT THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Muriel Hasbun presented her solo exhibition at the International Center of Photography in New York from September 29, 2023 to January 8, 2024. Muriel Hasbun: Tracing Terruño is the first survey in New York City of the career of multidisciplinary artist Muriel Hasbun. This exhibition is partially supported by YES Contemporary.
ERICK BENÍTEZ AT UNTITLED ART FAIR
“Software for People v2” is a duet performance by LA-based Salvadoran artists Erick Antonio Benitez in collaboration with the dancer Andrea Soto. The performance took place on December 7th at Selena’s Mountain’s booth C40 at Untitled Art Fair in Miami Beach. This exhibition is partially supported by YES Contemporary.
2023 YES PARTNERS AND COLLABORATORS
AIR EUROPA
EDIFICIO COLABORA
PROYECTOS ULTRAVIOLETA
ATELIER SOLAR
NETWORK OF SPANISH CULTURAL CENTERS IN CENTRAL AMERICA
NOSCO GALLERY
LA FÁBRICA
NEW MUSUEM
PARRISH ART MUSEUM
WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART NORTON MUSEUM
MUSEUM OF ART OF EL SALVADOR
LAB OF EXPERIMENTAL ART
UNTITLED ART FAIR
LABERINTO PROJECTS
MONDRIAAN FUNDS
CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM OF PANAMA MAC
PAIZ BIENNIAL
INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY
TERREMOTO MAGAZINE
REINA SOFÍA MUSEUM
ESCUELA EXPERIMENTAL DE ARTES
LA CASA ROSADA
MEMORIA GALLERY
FORMA MUSEUM
ENSAYO Y ERROR
ARNICHES 26 GALLERY
ICA BOSTON
ARCO MADRID
SAO PAULO BIENNIAL
Y.ES IS AN INITIATIVE OF THE ROBERT S. WENNETT AND MARIO
CADER-FRECH FOUNDATION
Y.ES Council
Mario Cader-Frech
Robert S. Wennett
Adriana Cisneros de Griffin
Simón Vega
Carolina Alvarez-Mathies
Gabriela Poma
Solita Cohen
Beatriz Cortez
Claire Breukel
Y.ES Team
Omar Lopez-Chahoud
Patricio Majano
yescontemporary.org
@yescontemporary