When visiting Bogotá, be sure to include MAMBO in your itinerary

MAMBO, or Bogotá’s Modern Art Museum, is a space dedicated to research, preservation, conservation, stimulation, divulgation, promotion, protection, and interest fomentation of its Collection as national cultural heritage, as they state on their website. Its goal is to become a self-sustainable cultural entity, and the most recognized, appreciated, and visited space of its type in Bogotá, thanks to the quality of its exhibitions and activities.

The collection

Since its founding, MAMBO’s mission has been to show to Colombians what is going on in the art world beyond the country’s borders, as well as to provide a space for contemporary modern local artists to exhibit their work. Amongst the most important Colombian artists who have been showcased in this museum are:

• Andrés de Santa María
• Marco Tobón Mejía
• Alejandro Obregón
• Edgar Negret
• Ignacio Gómez Jaramillo
• Enrique Grau
• Carlos Rojas
• Roberto Páramo
• Rafael Echeverri
• María de la Paz Jaramillo
• Álvaro Barrios
• Leo Matiz
• Oscar Muñoz
• Darío Morales
• Carlos Salas
• Nadín Ospina
• John Castles
• Carlos Jacanamijoy
• Hernán Díaz
• José Alejandro Restrepo
• Catalina Mejía
• Rodrigo Facundo
• Ruven Afanador
• David Manzur

These are some of the better known Colombian artists, who have revolutionized the country’s contemporary art.

This year, MAMBO has released two volumes of the catalogue of their permanent collection, so that those who are interested can consult it year-round, because these works are usually in storage to give way to other temporary exhibitions.

The building

The building where the museum is currently located was designed by one of Colombia’s most influential and well known architects, Rogelio Salmona. It is located in the cultural and historical center of the city, and its first stage opened in 1979. In 1985, construction was finalized. The building is four stories tall, and has six exhibition rooms, an auditorium, a project room, two workshop rooms for educational activities, a deposit to hold the museum’s permanent collection adequate for art preservation, a library, a bookstore, a café, and administrative offices. While it is a beautiful building, it is a space built so that the artworks can stand out, and with the necessary spaces to accomplish the goals the museum has set for itself.

The exhibitions are constantly changing

One of the best qualities of MAMBO is that one can visit multiple times a year and always find different works and fresh collections. There is also a very complete registry of past exhibitions in the website, which can be consulted at any moment.

Latin American Post | Laura Rocha Rueda