Editorial – Backroom

Editorial

Barbarism will insist on make-believe

that its flatness is all this nothing that exists.

It will softly hang on the neck

the blinding moorings of its history.

It is essential to fathom the shadows, the silent gestures

(the echo)

of those who think from a distance

about their world and its thunder.

Backroom Caracas has been canvas, veins, and vessel,

non-vacuous vanity sailing among voids

with the arrhythmic pounds of our paddles,

orchestrated—such was always our aim—by singularity.

We shall keep weaving the way, perils and all,

knowing that confines harbor abyss

—potential vanishing points.

Backroom Caracas was a mediating and managing platform for projects related to contemporary art practices and reflection. Since the beginning, this website was conceived as a space for thought and creation. The contents—either signed by us or not—represent us: we always swimmed against the tide of publications that disclaim the opinions expressed by their contributors, because we saw ourselves mirrored in their plurality.

Our mission was to say, to think, to gather, to promote and trigger, to enable paths for wandering—all this we did throughout an extensive, open, telluric, and fantastic 4-year-journey, led by contemporary art and thinking, which took us through exhibitions, participatory art experiences, publishing ventures, discussions, and education spaces, up until May 2017, when we entered cryogenic stasis.

Aknowledgements

Backroom Caracas was:

Rody Douzoglou, Natasha Tiniacos, Florencia Alvarado, Gaëlle Smits, Marianela Díaz Cardozo, Nathalia Manzo, Gabriela Mesones Rojo, Elvira Blanco Santini, Enza García Arreaza, Lennis Rojas, Mika Albornoz, Andrea Ayala, Lisa Blackmore, Mariana Maduro, Carmen Alicia di Pasquale, Eduardo Molea, Wilder Ríos, Vanessa Arteaga, Juan David Leal, Abraham Araujo, Jeanniffer Pimentel, Victor Estrada, Mauricio García De Ceca, Joaquín Alegre, Aureliano Alarcón, Anton Ceballos, Jeanne Jiménez, Saúl Yuncoxar, Vladimir Marcano, Adriana Urdaneta.

With special thanks to:

Mary Lou Johnson-Pizarro, José Santacana, Lola Petrova, Jarrod Beck, Guillermo Barrios, María Isabel Peña, Gustavo Izaguirre, Azier Calvo, Meridith Kohut, Elena Broszkowski, Kelly Gordon, Josefina Benedetti, Jessica Wexler, Michael Greenblatt, Camila Pulgar Machado, Luis Miguel Isava, Miguel Braceli, Stefan Gzyl, Khristian Ceballos Ugarte, Evan Garza, Enrique Méndez, Gisela Smith, Silvia Fuentes, Sofía Hernández Chong-Cuy.

In the company of:

Adriana Colina, Albe Pérez, Alejandro Méndez, Ángela Bonadies, Ann Cooper, Ariel Jiménez, Bart Groenendaal, Carla Chaim, Carlos Ancheta, Carlos Castillo, Consuelo di Carlo, Consuelo Méndez, Corina Mora, Daniel Otero, Deborah Castillo, Eglè Budvytytè, Érika Ordosgoitti, Federico Solmi, Gabriela Lepage, Graciela Velutini, Héctor Zamora, Hernán Alvarado, Ignacio Marcano (†), Ileana Ramírez, Iván Candeo, Jaime Bello León, Janaina Tschäpe, Jean Carlos Leal, Jonathan Monaghan, Jonathan Reverón, Jordi Santiago Flores, Jorge Galindo, José Ignacio Benítez, José Rafael Perozo, José Urriola, Joseph Tainter, Juan Maragall, Larry Black, Lourdes Peñaranda, Luis Molina-Pantin, Luis Yslas, Luisa Mariana Pulido, María Elena Ramos, Mariana Rondón, Matthew Weinstein, Melba Rodríguez, Miguel Ángel Ríos, Mircea Cantor, Nancy Nowacek, Nira Pereg, Raquel Ocariz, Ricardo Sanz, Rodrigo Figueroa, Rosa Virginia Urdaneta, Santiago Sierra, Tomás Straka, Valentina Alvarado, Verónica Lepage, Viviana Mujica, Wynn Calder.

Thanks to our authors, contributors, and participants:

Adriana González, Adriana Lusitano, Adriana Rodríguez, Adriana Tenorio, Adriana Villanueva, Agustina Triquell, Alan Alberto, Alan Rodríguez, Alberto Morreo, Aldo Michelangelli, Alejandra Bemporad, Alejandro Castro, Alejandro Dávila, Alejandro Rodríguez Pascual, Alesca Alexein, Alexandra Arvelo, Alexandra Masson, Alexandra Mercado, Alexandra Núñez, Alexis Silveira, Alfonso y Stefania Paolini, Alfredo Castillo, Alma Ariza, Álvaro González Bastidas, Amada Granado, Amber Newman, Ana Cecilia “Chechi” Ponte, Ana María Vass, Ana Mirabal, Analenin Galindo, Analy Trejo, Andrea Marcial, Andrea Palacios, Andrea Tosta, Andreína Herrera, Andreína Ramos, Andrés González Camino, Andrés Levell, Ángel Hernández, Anna Della Subin, Anyeli Carrero, Aquiles Hadjis, Argenis Zurita, Ariam Martínez, Arlenys Pino, Armando Rosales, Arturo Colmenares, Astrid Franco, Atisha Paulson, Bárbara Muñoz Porqué, Bárbara Valera, Beatriz Hernández, Beatriz Mójer, Benjamín Tobelem Bilbao, Beto Benítez, Brenda Bellorín, Brígida Maestres, Carla Olivares, Carlos Ávila, Carlos Blanco Bifano, Carlos Luis Sánchez Becerra, Carlos Márquez, Carlos Salazar Lermont, Carlos Sánchez, Carlos Sisco, Carol Mann, Carolina Lozada, Carolina y Ricardo Jaimes-Branger, Catherine Despont, Cecilia Hahn, Christian Maier, Claret Rojas, Claudia Lizardo, Claudio Troncoso Rojas, Consuelo Méndez, Cristina Tovar, Daisy Patton, Daniel Dannery, Daniel Méndez, Daniel Salamanca, Daniela Codecido, Daniele Pignataro, David Manresa, David Niño Herrera, David Rivas, David Soto, Dayani López, Débora Vetencourt, Déborah Rodríguez, Desireé Méndez, Diana Ávila, Diana Rangel, Diego González, Diego Guerrero, Eduardo Miralles, Edwin Meyer, Eleana Briceño, Elena Pastor, Eleonora Cróquer Pedrón, Eleonora Requena, Eli Tolaretxipi, Eliana Goncalves, Elisa Silva, Elisabetta Balasso, Emilia Monteverde, Enrique de Abreu, Enrique Enriquez, Erik del Bufalo, Erika Muñoz, Erly Ruiz, Ernesto Pérez, Eugenia Villalobos, Fernando Henríquez, Fernando Sánchez, Flavio Herrera, Francisco Fuenmayor, Francisco Schutte, Franklin Mendoza, Gabriel García, Gabriel Payares, Gabriela Callejón, Gabriela di Miele Quintero, Gender Vera, Génesis Martínez, Gerardo Rojas, Gigliola Varvero, Gioconda Berríos, Gustavo Jiménez, Hayfer Brea, Heberto Añez Novoa, Hernán Díaz, Heryens Angulo, Hilda Fe Medina, Igor Barreto, Inés Achabal, Isabel Arredondo, Isabella Paniz, Iván González Viso, Iván Guzmán, Izumi Takahashi, Janis Denis, Jenny Pereira, JF Cantón, Jhon Sánchez, Joel Rivero, Johana Blanco, Johngelix Martínez, Jonathan Corro, Jonathan Dias, Jorge Gómez Salas, José Gregorio Castillo, José Miguel del Pozo, José Ostos, José Reinaldo Guédez, José Vívenes, Juan Camilo García, Juan Carlos Figuera Durán, Juan Carlos Linares, Juan Cristóbal Castro, Juan Diego Pérez, Juan Francisco Sans, Juan Manuel Suppa, Juan Muñoz- Tébar, Juan Pablo Garza, Julia Zurilla, Julio César Mesa, Karina Juárez, Karl Hungers, Katherine De Jesús, Katie Rose Pipkin, Kleyver Gutiérrez, Kristhina Brando, Larry Vazeos, Laura Linares, Laura Sayan, Laureana Deibis, Leizer Oliveros, Leonardo Ascanio, Leonardo García, Leslie Umbria, Liliana Oviedo, Linda Meléndez, Lisa Silvestri, Luciana Pimentel, Luis Felipe Zamora, Luis González, Luis Guillermo Castro, Luis Itanare, Luis Jiménez, Luis Manuel Castillo Hernández, Luis Mata, Luis Montero, Luis Moreno Villamediana, Luis Pérez Calvo, Lydia Bittner-Baird, Magu Acedo, Manuel E. Aranguren, Manuel Vázquez-Ortega, Marco Montiel-Soto, María Alejandra Rosales, María Angelina Borgo, María B. Aristimuño, María Camila Restrepo, María Corina Sacchini, María Elena Ramos, María Elizabeth Hernández, María Enriqueta Gallegos, María Eugenia Bacci, María Eugenia Contreras, María Eugenia Díaz, María Fernanda Izaguirre, María Gabriela Córdova, María Gabriela Fernández, María Vanessa Rodrigues, María Victoria Saavedra, Mariana Álvarez, Mariana Dávila Arzola, Mariana Guevara, Mariandrea Pérez, Marienna García-Gallo, Marta Vallmitjana, Matías Toro, Mauro Silveira, Max Provenzano, Mayoira Flores, Melissa Núñez, Mercedes Granados, Michael Labarca, Michela Baldi, Miguel Gutiérrez, Miguel Gutiérrez, Miguel Navarro, Miguelito Miguelito, Miranda Leung, Mónica Santander, Morza Sánchez, Nancy La Rosa, Nathalia Mendoza, Nayarí Castillo, Nelesi Rodríguez, Nicolás Gerardi, Nicole Calderón, Nicole Durán, Oriana Ríos, Oscar Lezama, Pablo Medina Uribe, Patricia Hambrona, Patricia Padrón, Paulina Benavides, Paulina Villanueva, Pía Rodríguez, Rafaelle Castaldi, Raquel Paolini, Rebeca Martínez, Renato Bermúdez, Ricardo Esparragoza, Ricardo Huezo, Ricardo Sarco Lira, Robert Gómez, Roberto Ruiz, Romy Pocztaruk, Roraima Otero, Rosalinda Rocca, Rose Hartman, Rossayne León, Rubi Guerra, ruby onyinyechi amanze, Sabrina Montiel-Soto, Salvador Villá, Sara Loudini Mendoza, Silvia Caradonna, Sofía Córdova, Susana Benko, Taeyoon Choi, Tiago Loureiro, Tomás Davis, Toni Crabb, Ulises Hadjis, Valentina Rodríguez, Valeria Escobar, Valeria Sevilla, Valerie Weilheim, Vanessa Vargas, Verónica González, Verónica Montilla, Wilfredo Hernández, Wilmer Rivas, Yenny, Yoisy Rangel, Yorlin Franco Sandoval, Yoryelina Moreno, Yuruani Sánchez, Zulman Coronado.

With kind support from and in alliance with:

Embassy of the United States of America, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo - UCV, Escuela de Letras - UCV, Ediciones FAU-UCV, Hacienda La Trinidad Parque Cultural, Sala Mendoza, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo del Zulia, Centro de Arte Los Galpones, Librería Lugar Común, Cultura Chacao, ADJKM - Colectivo de arquitectos, Central Arquitectura, Enlace Arquitectura, Smith-Falchetti, Fundación Cisneros, Tráfico Visual, Librería El Buscón, Foto Florida Soluciones Audiovisuales, Oruga Studio, Cerveza Zulia, Franca Coffee Cakes, Pastelería Danubio.

info@backroomcaracas.com