Edge Zones International Project presents the 16th edition of INDEX '24

Centro Cultural Quinta Dominica, Chapel of the Third Order of Dominica, C. Padre Billini 202, Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo 10210

Edge Zones International Project presents the 16th edition of INDEX '24, with a radical and innovative artistic program whose purpose is the dissemination of contemporary art in Santo Domingo. The exhibition titled Caribbean Connections will be held at the Quinta Dominica Art Gallery from March 19 to 24, 2024, commissioned by Charo Oquet and will include works by artists from Miami, Florida, and local artists.

Although Miami is not located in the Caribbean, it is the most Caribbean city per capita in the United States. The intertwined diasporas that call the city home create a vibrant tapestry of Caribbean culture. Even though Miami is not geographically in the Caribbean, it undeniably embodies the spirit of the region. The city's unique perspective on the Caribbean and its deep understanding of its culture have significantly influenced Miami. Additionally, Miami and the Dominican Republic share an Atlantic coast that historically served as a conduit between the Taínos, the indigenous people of the Dominican Republic, and the continent.

Santo Domingo, as the first permanent settlement of the "New World" and capital of the West Indies, holds historical significance as a starting point for the spread of European culture and the conquest of the continent. Being in a city with such rich history adds depth to our understanding of the Caribbean.

Caribbean Connections seeks to illuminate these connections and debunk stereotypes about Caribbean art while celebrating the broad reach of its diaspora. With this, the exhibition aims to offer a multifaceted representation of the Caribbean. It strives to facilitate a dialogue between artists, highlighting the shared influences and similarities between Miami and the Caribbean. After enduring generations of colonialism, power struggles, and cultural amalgamation, can a single definition truly encapsulate this region and its art?

With this project, we seek to reinvent, reimagine, reconfigure the notion of community, a space between longing and consolidation, absence and loss. We want to explore these ideas with a variety of mediums and formats, including performance and spoken word poetry, image production, and how these intertwine with culture, its displacements and developments; as well as the possible pretexts for its interpretation and cultural diagnostics.

Through the work of the artists, this exhibition strives to show the essence of contemporary Caribbean art, produced both in the Caribbean and its diaspora. It challenges the prevailing preconceptions about Caribbean art, both internally and externally, offering a glimpse into the contemporary ideas and influences that resonate within the artworks today.

Exhibiting Artists: Eliu Almonte | Patricia Castillo | Yanira Collado | Patricia Encarnación | Jainsen | Arlyn Jimenez | Kandy G Lopez | Pepe Mar | Yuly Monción | Charo Oquet | Iris Perez | Victoria Ravelo |

INDEX – Miami/ Santo Domingo ‘24 is made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade Department of Culture and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor of Miami-Dade County, and the County Commission. It is also sponsored by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, Quinta Dominica.