| LAKMA started with a foundation dedicated to the | | | | art. |
| Spanish artist José Gausachs. Gausachs was an | | | | ALI: How, over the past 5-10 years, has Latin |
| artist who emigrated from Spain during the Spanish | | | | American art been received in Europe? |
| Civil War, before the Second World War. For many, | | | | LAKMA: It is regarded very highly. That is undisputed in |
| Gausachs is an unknown name; however, he is of | | | | the sense that Latin America is seeking an audience in |
| great importance to Latin America's art history. He | | | | Europe. When the work of Latin American artists |
| was the disciple of great masters such as Isidre Nonell | | | | travels to Europe, it increases in value and becomes |
| and Felix Mestre. He cultivated friendships in Paris with | | | | more interesting. Europeans are investors and |
| other famous painters of his time, such as Amadeo | | | | explorers and are interested in emerging new artists |
| Modigliani, Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. He was | | | | and stories. We have had exhibitions of Frida Kahlo, |
| appreciated by intellectuals like Tristan Tzara, whose | | | | Javier Marin, the art history of Cuba; they have all |
| friendship and support made a great difference for | | | | been a huge success. The industry is definitely |
| Gausachs during the exile. Furthermore, he was | | | | growing. This will be the first Latin American art |
| praised by great writers of that time: Hemingway | | | | museum in Europe. There is an exhibition hall in Zurich, |
| acquired one of his paintings, and the poet Carles | | | | but it's not a museum. This being the first is an |
| Ribas dedicated a poem to the remarkable painter | | | | indication that the interest is growing and a lot of large |
| after the inauguration of Gausach's last exposition in | | | | companies are establishing themselves in the region. |
| Barcelona. | | | | ALI: What was the exposure of Latin American art in |
| The Gausach Art Foundation has undertaken the | | | | the big European museums before LAKMA? |
| project of creating the first museum in The | | | | LAKMA: There were fewer activities. In the past three |
| Netherlands dedicated to Spanish, Mexican, Caribbean, | | | | years there has been more movement, there has |
| and Central and South American contemporary art. | | | | been a synergy that happened simultaneously—it |
| The museum's collection will serve as a cross-cultural | | | | has been the right moment. Europe always looks at |
| exchange gateway between Latin America and the | | | | North America; there is a lot of interest in Latin |
| diverse population of the Netherlands. The museum will | | | | American Art and business in North America, and |
| offer numerous research and study possibilities with its | | | | Europe always tends to arrive late to these |
| cultural center Casa Latina through various exhibitions | | | | conclusions. Now is the right time for Europe. |
| and programs. | | | | ALI: Where would you say are the hot spots for Latin |
| ALI: What inspired you to start a museum for Latin | | | | American art at the moment? |
| American Art in the Netherlands? | | | | LAKMA: Spain and Italy—but of course this can be |
| LAKMA: We saw that there was a need for a macro | | | | seen as an opportunity to expand the market to |
| institution to support on a nonprofit basis the promotion | | | | Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. There is an |
| of Latin American culture and arts. We had a good | | | | interest but lack of the presence of a strong |
| collection but not a lot of support—when we had a | | | | organization in order to bring impressive exhibitions that |
| proposal for an exhibition it always would come out of | | | | will secure endorsement from the government and |
| the Latin American embassies here. The embassies, | | | | large corporations who would like their brands to be |
| however, they don't have a multi-year budget—they | | | | seen. That is the economic structure that this idea is |
| are working with a one-year budget. They aren't | | | | based upon at the moment. |
| interested in something that might take place in three | | | | ALI: In terms of European interest in Latin American art, |
| years, as they don't know if they will even be | | | | what is most popular at the moment? |
| established still in the country. The museums on the | | | | LAKMA: That is really yet to be discovered—we are |
| other hand have full exhibition schedules for years in | | | | opening a new chapter. There are many different |
| advance and need to have a long perspective of the | | | | installations—modern art, Brazilian graffiti. The |
| programming for their sponsorship. Therein lay the | | | | municipality of Rotterdam even made space available |
| problem—so in order to create movement and | | | | for graffiti to take place in the streets. The Netherlands |
| interest in Latin American art, whose effects can be | | | | invests a lot in its art and culture. There is a large |
| felt in commerce, politics, dialogue, education, one | | | | population of Latin Americans and there is a large |
| macro organization needed to be in place to solidify all | | | | population of Latinos in the Netherlands. That should |
| of the smaller foundations and culture departments of | | | | give an indication of how things are going to be |
| the embassies. We had a concept of "united we | | | | growing. |
| stand." We started just under three years | | | | ALI: What are you looking to do in 2010? Have you |
| ago—there were a number of stakeholders needing | | | | been affected by the current economy? |
| networking with the embassies and with the artists, | | | | LAKMA: In the coming year we are excited to have |
| and we finally got enough momentum going to start | | | | an exhibition from Cuba and the Dominican Republic, |
| the projection of a museum. They thought of which | | | | and some very impressive artists from Spain and Latin |
| city would be best—wanted a big and prestigious | | | | America. |
| museum. They considered Amsterdam and The | | | | Of course the economic downturn did have an effect; |
| Hague; however, they settled on The Hague as that is | | | | at the same time it also gave cohesiveness to the |
| where the embassies are and there is a higher status | | | | community to make this happen. All of the cultural |
| of inhabitants. It is a politically charged, cultural city. | | | | departments were feeling the effects of the downturn |
| There is a new train system under development there | | | | and a meeting was held, sponsored by the |
| currently, which will bring travelers directly from Paris. | | | | Venezuelan embassy, to discuss how to subsidize |
| There is a drive for big corporations to settle their | | | | cultural affairs in a downturn such as this. Many |
| corporate headquarters there. This way people can | | | | economic advisors offered their services for free. We |
| see that there is a potential market for Latin American | | | | met to look at this straight in the face as a community. |