Venezuelan artist displays at cultural centre

This month images of Belize can be seen through the eyes of renowned Venezuelan painter Manuel Piney. Paisajes de Belice or Landscapes of Belize is a twenty-four-piece oil painting exhibition opened for public viewing on Friday. Guillermo Gutierrez, director of the Mexico-Belize Cultural Institute says Piney captures familiar scenes from the point of view of a person who lived here for only three months.

Guillermo Gutierrez, Dir., Mexico-Belize Cultural Institute

“He is, not just in this exhibition but also in the others, a landscaper because his principal reason to paint is to criticise or to question the process of modernisation that most countries have at this moment. The idea is to show to people the value of the natural landscapes, and in this way, just to create a consciousness in people and to protect the earth. The exhibition is primarily using places such as Toledo, Belmopan, Dangriga, and in some cases the coast of Belize. In the future he is considering a huge exhibition showing the whole country.”

“This is a collective exhibition because Venezuela and the Mexican Embassies are working together to make this possible. In the future we can see more activity like this because the idea is to promote and to help Latin American countries that want to present cultural expressions of their country here in Belize.”

Paisajes de Belice runs until May eighteenth from 8:30 to 5:00 p.m. at the Cultural Institute on Newtown Barracks in Belize City. Admission is free.