Visual art galore

PANAMA. The second version of Panama Grafico 2009, the country’s graphic design collective exhibit, was launched at the Contemporary Art Museum this week, offering the public four exhibit rooms with more than 100 projects of printed and alternative media.

More than 50 graphic designers, including students, from Panama, Central America and the Caribbean are showcasing their work, which includes posters, graphic campaigns, editorial material, packaging material, and highly creative experimental visual art and designs projects.

The exhibit rooms are The first room, “GrafIstmo”, a space to take a trip down memory lane to celebrate the design history of Panama, rescuing thematically graphic elements from the last few decades. What stands out from this exhibit is how it celebrates characters that have come to life and reached fame of their own by representing products.

The second room, “Cartel Social” (social poster), depicts poster signs, which according to organizers are one of the most accessible means of communication in the city, both from a commercial as well as intellectual point of view, that help us in one way or another take positions regarding a person, product, issue, etc. Works in this exhibit focus on conceptual synthesis, communicating ideas while at the same time becoming an engine to bring awareness to situations within a society.

The third room, “Diseño Centroamericano y del Caribe,” aims to highlight the recent attention that Latin-American design has received, a true reflection of the region’s cultural vibrancy. In 2007, the prestigious German art book publisher, published its first book on Latin American graphic design. Panama Grafico offers in this room recent work from more than 20 designers and students.

The main Panama Grafico 09 room, presents recent projects such as posters, graphic series, editorial material, packaging material, graphics in motion, and experimental graphic projects, allowing visitors to get a sense of current national graphic design at its best. The works were chosen by judges with a long and renowned presence in visual media.

Panama Grafico will also offer workshops. On Thursday April 2 at 6:30 p.m., Ricky Salterio and Marivi Gonzalez will talk about tradition versus innovation, while Peter Novey will be teaching about the design of products, prototypes, CD covers, and similar goods. The workshop on Thursday April 16, at 6:30 p.m. will focus on freelance graphic design, and the social responsibility of designers.

On Thursday April 23 at 6:30 p.m. current seniors in graphic design schools will showcase projects in a mini-exhibit.

Panama Grafico 2009 will be open until April 26.