Culture, Leisure, Travel, Feature articles, Reviews, posted February 22nd, 2008

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A multi art exhibition will on March 1 open the festivities around the International Women’s Day in Maastricht. Mondiaal Centrum has invited three women artists from South America, Alessandra Siviero, Cecilia Agüero and Amara Valencia, to present their work at its Atelier Mondiale.

Alessandra Siviero reports:

Through Atelier Mondiale, Mondiaal Centrum organises many projects involving foreign artists to draw everyone’s attention in Maastricht to what is going on elsewhere in the world. For the International Women’s Day, the art centre decided to to bring together three women from diverse cultures, styles and with very different backgrounds.

It is just a coincidence that Cecilia, Amara and I all come from South America. Moos Pozzo, the new coordinator at Mondiaal Centrum since January 2008, chose us not only because we are not originally from Europe but also because we live here. “It is difficult for outsiders to make their way into our local art society,” Moos told me. “We like to support new styles, new ways to express art. You all have a very interesting, feminine and unique work and that is why I invited you to be part of the International Women’s Day event.”

Moos was born in The Netherlands but lived for many years in Italy as a teacher of Italian and Art before returning to Maastricht. She has been working with foreign cultures for many years now. “My goal is always to integrate and support global partnership for development,” Moos says. She has worked at the Kumulus art centre teaching jewelry design, guided tours at the Bonnefanten Museum and helped organise events such as M2Life, an art Marathon involving music, dance, film and literature.

At Mondiaal Centrum, she is managing many projects such as Maastricht in the World, Platform Millennium Goals, The World in Maastricht and Atelier Mondiale.

The exhibition will use art as a universal language not just to foster the integration of foreign culture into Dutch society but also to celebrate women’s achievements and women’s freedom. It will display different types of art: Cecilia will show her delicate engravings and paper collages, Amara her bronze sculptures, and I will present my paintings, modern style, bright and colourful.

As soon as I arrived in Maastricht a few months ago, I noticed that people around here appreciated art in general. “Why not show my work here?” I thought. That’s when everything started for me. First I displayed my paintings in a small window in the city centre. I was able to sell them and was soon invited to take part in an auction in favour of UNICEF. I contributed two of my paintings, which were also sold. Denise Maas, the former coordinator of the Mondiaal Centrum, who was at the auction, told about the possibility to hold a solo exhibition at her centre. Currently my paintings are displayed at the Maison des Arts Modernes, an art gallery on Rechtstraat.

I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and graduated in journalism and marketing. But my passion for art was stronger and led me to travel to many countries, including the USA where I lived for a few years. It was not easy to start everything from the beginning every time I moved, but I always tried to be optimistic and open for all opportunities to find my place wherever I was.

I am happy to see that my work has been well received in Maastricht, where I now live with my family. Every week I receive email messages from people who want to talk about my art and tell me how it has affected them. They talk about the colours that I use and how these colours make them feel happier and more positive about life. And this is precisely what I want to do with my art, make people smile, create a joyful picture by using many colours and bring optimism to everyone. You won’t see me drawing something dark or sad because for that you just need to turn on the television and watch the news. I want to touch everyone’s soul with a bit of hope. Colours have this power if you know how to mix them.

Innocent Beauty by Alessandra Siviero

Cecilia Agüero for her part uses fewer colours in her fragile engravings and stitched paper collages. She likes to explore ancient cultures. “I use ancient symbols to go back to the origin of humanity,” she says. Cecilia, who was born in Argentina and specialised in Art History, has been working with art for about 20 years. She lives with her family to the south of Maastricht in Eijsden and works as an Art teacher. She says that her art doesn’t reveal any European influence, adding that she doesn’t draw her inspiration from any culture in particular. “I like to repeat images and play with them in order to associate things that happened on the past with things that are happening right now. My intention with my work is to touch people’s spirit,” Cecilia says.

Cecilia Agüero

Amara Valencia, originally from Chile and the daughter of an Indian mother and a Eurasian father, is a many-sided artist who has devoted her life to her passion. “I live with my art,” she says. “I left the human family to get married with my art because art for me is an emotion of love.” Amara became involved with art at the age of five, took some courses but never completed them. “A teacher is like a maestro for me. I learn something from them and I already want to move on,” she explains. Amara has been living for many years in the outskirts of Maastricht and creates sculptures, paintings and jewelry design.

Amara Valencia

Visitors to Atelier Mondiale will have the opportunity to witness three different forms of art by three different women from South America. What unites us however is the hope to reach everyone’s heart and soul. Art is a powerful but peaceful tool to show our view of the world. The International Women’s Day will allow us to think globally and act locally. Let’s do our bit.

By Alessandra Siviero

About the International Women’s Day:
The celebrations for Women’s Day have been observed since the 1900’s, when women suffering from oppression and inequality became more vocal and active in campaigning for a change in society. The first Women’s Day started as a National celebration (NWD – National Women’s Day) across the USA on every last Sunday of February until 1913. The movement grew into to a global and international day of recognition for women across developed and developing countries alike. Nowadays, annually on March 8th, thousands of events are held throughout the world to celebrate women’s achievements – The International Women’s Day.

Cecilia Agüero (left), Amara Valencia (middle) and Alessandra Siviero (right)

Practical details:
Artists: Alessandra Siviero, Cecilia Agüero and Amara Valencia
Opening: Saturday, March 1st, 2008 at 4pm
Dates: March 1st to March 16st, 2008
Opening hours: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 12 pm till 4 pm
Location: Atelier Mondiale - Cortenstraat 4, close to Onze Lieve Vrouwenplein
Entrance: free
Paintings and sculptures will be for sale

More information: (+31) 043-3260881 or mondiaalcentrum@home.nl/new

More works by Cecilia Agüero

More works by Alessandra Siviero

Related article: Mondiaal Centrum presents: United Colours of Maastricht

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