Who tells a tale adds a tail

Who tells a tale adds a tail: Latin America and contemporary art presents mostly site-specific, commissioned artworks by emerging artists in dialogue with the unique architecture of the DAM's Hamilton Building. The exhibition highlights the work of 19 contemporary artists connected to Latin America and the ways in which their work reflects and interacts with relevant themes ranging from technology to ideas surrounding identity, to broader social and political issues.​

The 19 participating millennial-generation artists from countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico, have developed work that creates new worlds and realities, inviting spectators to engage in narratives through a multitude of media: painting, sculpture, installation, textile, video, sound, digital, and performance art.

Reflecting this theme of interaction between artist and audience, the exhibition title is inspired by a proverb from Brazil. "Quem conta um conto, aumenta um ponto" directly translates to "who tells a tale, adds a point," stressing the significance of pushing a momentum forward by continuing a conversation, something each of these artists strives to do through their work. The exhibition is designed to demonstrate how the ideas of storytelling and dialogue are essential to contemporary art practice; many of the pieces on view incorporate elements from the artists’ own life stories or historical narratives, and invite the visitor to create their own stories and responses to the works.

Credit: Overview from museum website