Art historian and local cultural manager Ana Maria Hernandez was invited to participate in a 3-month curatorial residency at Villa Sträuli, located in Winterthur, Switzerland. Hernandez was selected for the projects she has developed for the Aruban community over the past 4 years with her art education foundation, Plataforma Aruba. The trip was made possible with the support of the Prince Bernhard Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied.
Artistic residency programs provide professionals with the opportunity to focus on their work in a context that helps them expand their professional practice and thus contribute to the professional development of the participant, as well as that of their cultural sector. It facilitates the development of a professional network, cultivates international collaborations and offers an exchange of perspectives.
Villa Stäruli is an institution that focuses on interdisciplinary artistic exchange and collaboration among international professionals. During the months of January to April 2023, Hernandez made several “studio visits” to artists in Switzerland, met local institutes and connected with international professionals. There was also the opportunity to share Aruba’s artistic practices in various presentations and meetings. During an Open Studio, Hernandez presented the project of the Rancho Foundation and the Aruba Platform entitled Oda Na e Piskador at the institute. The presentation was accompanied by a pop-up exhibition of the project featuring the works of Samuel Sarmiento.
Ana Maria Hernandez holds an M.A. in Contemporary Visual Art from the University of Amsterdam and is the founder of Plataforma Aruba, a local art education institution. Hernandez was also in charge of the AUA Exhibits 21-22 program at Casa de Cultura, where 8 local visual artists presented their work in a series of 5 exhibitions. Currently, he is the curator and developer of the project Ode to the Fisherman. This is a project of the Rancho Foundation and Plataforma Aruba in collaboration with local artist Samuel Sarmiento. “Ode to the Fisherman” is part of the Rancho Foundation’s program celebrating Oranjestad’s 200th anniversary.
