Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [24]
Modern urban architecture tends toward the functional rather than inspirational, and there is little of note. Bogotá and Medellín, in particular, have impressive skylines of glass, cement and steel.
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In the late 1990s, Yo Soy Betty la Fea (I’m Ugly Betty) turned telenovelas on their head with a rarely seen unattractive (and decidedly comical) protagonist. It was a hit across Latin America and was remade into the hit US show, Ugly Betty.
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Painting & Sculpture
Fernando Botero is to Colombian painting what García Márquéz is to the country’s literature – the name that overshadows all others. Both achieved their success as expatriates, which in itself says something about the arts climate in Colombia.
Two other famous Colombian painters, often overlooked, are Omar Rayo (1928–), known for his geometric drawings, and Alejandro Obregón (1920–1992), a Cartagena painter famous for his abstract paintings.
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FAT BEFORE HIS TIME – THE HUGE SUCCESS OF BOTERO
Fernando Botero (b 1932) is the most widely recognized Colombian painter and sculptor. Born in Medellín, he had his first individual painting exhibition in Bogotá at the age of 19 and gradually developed his easily recognizable style – characterized by the abnormal fatness of his figures. In 1972 he settled in Paris and began experimenting with sculpture, which resulted in a collection of gordas and gordos, as Colombians call these creations. Today, his paintings dot the walls of world-class museums and his monumental public sculptures adorn squares and parks in cities around the globe, including Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, Florence and New York.
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Colombia is also home to a good deal of colonial religious art. Gregorio Vásquez de Arce y Ceballos (1638–1711) was the most remarkable painter of the colonial era. He lived and worked in Bogotá and left behind a collection of more than 500 works, now distributed among churches and museums across the country.
Since the end of World War II, the most distinguished painters are Pedro Nel Gómez, known for his murals, watercolors, oils and sculptures; Luis Alberto Acuña, a painter and sculptor who used motifs from pre-Columbian art; Guillermo Wiedemann, a German painter who spent most of his creative period in Colombia and drew inspiration from local themes, though he later turned to abstract art; Edgar Negret, an abstract sculptor; Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar, who expressed himself mostly in geometric forms; and Rodrigo Arenas Betancur, Colombia’s most famous monument-maker.
These masters were followed by a slightly younger generation, born mainly in the 1930s, including artists such as Armando Villegas, a Peruvian living in Colombia, whose influences ranged from pre-Columbian motifs to surrealism; Leonel Góngora, noted for his erotic drawings; and the most internationally renowned Colombian artist, Fernando Botero (Click here).
The recent period has been characterized by a proliferation of schools, trends and techniques. Artists to watch out for include Bernardo Salcedo (conceptual sculpture and photography), Miguel Ángel Rojas (painting and installations), Lorenzo Jaramillo (expressionist painting), María de la Paz Jaramillo (painting), María Fernanda Cardozo (installations), Catalina Mejía (abstract painting) and the talented Doris Salcedo (sculpture and installations).
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Theater & Dance
There are a number of large theaters in Bogotá that present classics, and the usual assortment of amateur, avant-garde theaters; the latter often boast more performers than audience members, as they’re not of much interest to the average Colombian.
In Colombia, dance is something you do, not something you watch – and Colombians love to dance (Click here).
Bogotá and Medellín have the liveliest theater scenes. Of greater interest to aficionados are the biennial international theater festivals in Bogotá Click here and Manizales, which attract top-flight