Culture in Action / Prince Claus Fund
CULTURE IN ACTION with groundbreaking visual artist and 2013 Prince Claus Laureate Oscar Muñoz. In his poetic, often interactive pieces, the Colombian artist explores the fragile and ephemeral nature of identity, memory and perception. On 13 December 2013, Muñoz discussed his work with curator José Roca at the Stedelijk Museum.
Oscar Muñoz's work challenges the viewer to rethink the meaning of the photographic image. He is concerned with the role played by the production and consumption of images in shaping the political reality of his native Colombia, asking questions about the meaning and power of image making in a conflicted cultural context.
Muñoz: “My work today arises from my interest in understanding how a society comes to accept war - or rather, a dark and corrupted succession of wars over more than 50 years and which have not yet ended - as part of the routine of living, where both the past and the present are plagued with daily violent events which are persistently repeated.”
José Roca (Colombia) is the Estrellita B. Brodsky Curator of Latin American Art at Tate Modern, London, and Artistic Director of FLORA ars+natura in Bogotá. He is on the curatorial committee of Independent Curators International, New York, and the Fundação Iberé Camargo, Porto Alegre. He is also a member of the Prince Claus Awards Committee.
Culture in Action: Prince Claus Awards Week
During the week of 9 December 2013, the Prince Claus Fund in collaboration with De Balie, the Stedelijk Museum and the University of Amsterdam organised ‘Culture in Action: Prince Claus Awards Week’. For the first time ever, on the occasion of the 2013 Prince Claus Awards, ten Prince Claus Laureates were present in Amsterdam. Culture in Action presented a unique opportunity to meet ground-breaking artists and thinkers from all over the world. The laureates are honoured for their outstanding achievements in the field of culture and development and the positive effect of their work on the development of their countries.