Pre-Columbian period
Panama's earliest artistic creations are attributed to the pre-Columbian period (as early as 12,000 BC). Concentrated in the central region and Chiriqui, they are the work of the Cuevas. This indigenous people, along with the Coclé, declined rapidly with the arrival of the Spanish. Their main products were ceramics and goldsmithing. The tombs of the warrior chiefs, which have been excavated to date, contained gold artefacts, as can be seen at the Museo de Panamá viejo - Ciudad de Panama.
In the 1930s, the Parque Arqueológico site in El Caño revealed evidence of the existence of the "golden warriors", chiefs dressed in gold before being laid in their tombs. They are thought to have lived in Panama from 250 BC onwards. Even more astonishing, their bodies were surrounded by ceramic fragments, possibly made to protect or accompany tribal chiefs.
The motifs adorning the artifacts show the chief in the company of his totem animal, but also of supernatural creatures, similar to Western vampires. As settlers have largely ravaged the region, the culture of these tribes remains largely unknown to archaeologists.
The second stage in the discovery of Panamanian pre-Columbian culture is the Parque nacional de Sarigua. Remains dating back more than 11,000 years can be discovered on this vast, unspoilt site.
Colonial era
Spanish colonization continued for three centuries, starting in 1538. From then on, Amerindian culture blended with Iberian traditions. As the isthmus became a major trade route, exchanges and influences multiplied. While pirates continued to plague the island, African and Caribbean contributions enriched the indigenous culture.
Colonial domination lasted until the very end of the 19th century, and even until the birth of the Republic. During these few centuries, artistic practices were linked to religion: religious festivals, construction of churches decorated with sacred paintings and sculptures. However, pagan and Catholic rites remained intertwined in these works for a long time.
Casco Viejo, the historic district of Panama's capital, is famous for its 17th-century colonial architecture. But with evangelization, it was painting and sculpture that flourished. Gilding covered altarpieces such as the superb Altar de Oro de la Iglesia de San José (erected between 1671 and 1677). Legend has it that the altarpiece was saved from the looting of Panamá La Vieja by the Welsh pirate Henry Morgan, thanks to a ruse on the part of the monks. In fact, its Baroque details indicate a later date of creation, in the 18th century. Equally Baroque, its mahogany altar is covered in gold leaf. This is one of the most beautiful colonial churches.
The churches, concentrated in Panama Viejo (the old town), were transferred stone by stone to Casco Viejo after the city was sacked. The oldest Catholic building in the old town, Iglesia de la Merced, was built in 1671 and moved in 1680. It houses two chapels: one dedicated to the Virgin Mary, very popular in Panama, and the other containing a small mausoleum.
The Catedral Basilica Metropolitana de Panamá was transferred from Santa María la Antigua del Darién to Panama Viejo in 1520, then rebuilt in Casco Viejo in 1674 after suffering a fire and an earthquake. Its altarpiece was created by French artists in the 19th century. Its Carrara marble altar was consecrated by the Pope in 2019, during World Youth Day.
Guillermo Trujillo and Panamanian surrealism
In the 20th century, artists completed their training in Europe, where they discovered the avant-garde. Trujillo was born in 1927 in the village of Horconcitos, in the province of Chiriqui. Sent to the Panamanian capital to continue his studies, he enrolled in architecture school before developing a passion for painting. In 1950, he left for Madrid and continued to move back and forth between Europe and his native country for the next decade. Picasso, Klee and the Cuban surrealist Wilfredo Lam had a strong influence on his early work. However, native iconography remains present in his vertical compositions, which evoke otherworldly forests.
In 1959, Trujillo received an honorable mention at the São Paulo Biennial. Father of painter Isabel de Obaldía, the artist passed away in 2018.
Richard Prince
Renowned painter and photographer Richard Prince was born in 1949 on the American side of the Panama Canal. His beginnings were marked by the explosion of mass media. Prince is part of the appropriation movement, like Cindy Sherman and Barbara Kruger. He drew on popular imagery. In the late 1970s, he appropriated, reframed and diverted advertising images.
One of his recurring motifs, designed to deconstruct the American myth, is the cowboy, who has become the symbol of a major cigarette brand. One of his cowboys was the first photograph to top the million-dollar mark at a Christie's auction. It sold for $1,248,000 in 2005!
Richard Prince is the author of two of the ten most expensive photographs in the world: Spiritual America (1981) and Untitled (Cowboy) (2000).
In recent years, Prince has continued his iconoclastic approach on Instagram. After creating a portrait of Natalie Portman in 1998, signed by the young actress and not by Prince, he has now turned his attention to social networks. On Instagram, he sets out to identify and appropriate portraits published by strangers.
Towards contemporary art
A mecca for contemporary creativity, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo (MAC Panamá) opened its doors in 1983. The MAC houses the modest collection of the Institute of Panamanian Art, founded by a collective of artists to compensate for the absence of a cultural policy. Headed by Panamanian painter Alberto Dutary (1928-1997), he too reinterpreted European innovations. After training at Panama's Fine Arts School, Dutary moved to Madrid. He was fascinated by the abstract expressionism of Willem De Kooning and the art brut of Jean Dubuffet. On his return, he turned to Surrealism and then to neo-figuration, incorporating materials such as fabric and dust into his canvases. A long-time teacher, he founded the Collective in 1962 with the aim of promoting Panamanian art. Creative initiatives are, for the most part, recent and private.
The Isthmus of Panama offers a wealth of cultural discoveries, including Franck Gehry's Biomuseo and the mythical Panama Canal. Dedicated to Panama's natural history and biodiversity, the astonishing museum designed by the Canadian architect is recognizable by its offbeat, multicolored structure.
The Panama Center of Art and Culture came into being in 2018, thanks to American artist David Sloan and entrepreneur Ernesto Schwartz. This cultural center and art gallery aims to support contemporary arts. Intercultural exchanges are encouraged, notably through the residency program. Open to all visual artists, it welcomes painters, draughtsmen, street artists and photographers from all over the world. Resident artists are invited to leave a fresco in the center as a souvenir of their stay.
Street art
In Panama, street art is an integral part of every urban stroll. The Casco Viejo of the Panamanian capital is not short of artistic gems. In this creative profusion, one dog is a regular feature, painted in a variety of sizes and situations. Have fun spotting it!
Projects are springing up in the capital under the aegis of the Bay Arts Alliance. The association works to revitalize the streets through art. Diversity and inclusion have been the watchwords since 1978. All the arts are honored, including writing and performance. The Bay Arts Mural Project focuses specifically on urban frescoes.
Among the program's recent achievements is Heather Clements' fresco of a female figure draped in foliage, visible on the Welcome Wall at the intersection of Sixth Street and Harrison Avenue. The artist called on the community to give her mural a title. Essential Growth was chosen from hundreds of proposals, as it evokes renewal and nature. The Welcome Wall, which marks the entrance to the historic district on Ocean Oriental Market, is destined to be shared with other artists: Jayson Kretzer, Joyful Enriquez and Christon Anderson will be adding their paintings to the same spot.
Talent and future
Despite a history unfavorable to the arts and culture, Panama has no shortage of talent. You can discover them in the open air, in urban spaces, but also at DiabloRosso (Avenida Central - Parque de Santa Ana - Ciudad de Panamá). Opened in 2006, this unique venue has rapidly become a fixture on the local cultural scene. However, its high-quality program is aimed at the community. Meetings, exhibitions and workshops keep the space dynamic. It was here that we discovered Ana Elena Garuz, born in Panama in 1971. In her acrylic paintings on canvas, she deconstructs the dimensions of sculpture to transfer them to paint. In her pictorial puzzles, Ana Elena Garuz reconstitutes new minimalist, colorful and abstract worlds.
The socio-archaeological approach of artist Donna Conlon (b. Atlanta, 1966) is based on everyday objects. Her photographs highlight the contradictions of the modern world. Since 2006, she has been collaborating with Jonathan Harker, born in 1975 in Quito, Ecuador. Their videos, which denounce the contradictions of Panamanian identity, were shown at DiabloRosso, then at the Guggenheim (New York). A vision worth discovering!
