PhotoImagen festival opens in Santo Domingo with Prado show

The 12th PhotoImagen international festival will open in Santo Domingo on August 20 with an exhibition inspired by Spain's famous Museo del Prado. Titled El Prado en el centro: fotografia y memoria en PhotoImagen, the showcase will take place in the Dominican Republic capital at the Museo Bellapart.

The exhibition brings together work by three Dominican artists and 12 contemporary Spanish photographers representing three distinct generations. The international project was organized through a partnership between the Fundación Eduardo León Jimenes, the Centro León, the Museo Nacional del Prado, and the Fundación Amigos del Museo del Prado.

The participating Dominican creators are Polibio Díaz, Fausto Ortiz, and Mayra Johnson. Their work appears alongside Spanish photographers José Manuel Ballester, Bleda y Rosa, Javier Campano, Joan Fontcuberta, Alberto García-Alix, Pierre Gonnord, Chema Madoz, Cristina de Middel, Isabel Muñoz, Aitor Ortiz, Pilar Pequeño, and Javier Vallhonrat.

Each featured artist created works drawing inspiration from the art collections held at the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Their pieces reflect on the historical building that shelters the masterpieces, the atmosphere surrounding the galleries, and the public observing the art.

Cultural exchange between Spain and the Caribbean

Organizers described the showcase as an unprecedented artistic exchange that celebrates cultural dialogue between Spain and the Caribbean. The event is hosted by the Museo Bellapart under the leadership of museum president Mari Pili Bellapart, board member Maribel Bellapart, and director Myrna Guerrero.

The creation and training program was made possible through the sustained support of the Fundación Eduardo León Jimenes under the presidency of Dr. María Amalia León. The foundation said the initiative aims to build aesthetic bridges and foster shared memory between the participating nations.

Curatorial work and general coordination for the exhibition were led by a team from the Centro León, composed of Sara Hermann, Orlando Isaac, and Michelle Cruz. The Centro León, a major cultural institution based in the Dominican Republic, manages educational and visual arts programming across the region.

Exhibition schedule and related initiatives

Members of the public can view the display in the Temporary Exhibition Hall at the Museo Bellapart during standard visiting hours. The gallery is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The exhibition forms part of a broader series of events introducing Spain's artistic heritage to audiences across the country. Related projects include El Prado en las calles, an initiative that transformed the historic Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo into an open-air museum space, as well as a companion display hosted at the Centro Cultural Rainieri in the eastern region.