Coral Gallery, established in 2018 by Isabel Tassara in Midtown, Miami, is a vibrant space showcasing contemporary visual art from Latin America. The gallery bridges the artistic expressions of the region with audiences in the United States and Europe, offering a platform for both emerging and established artists. This year, Coral Gallery makes its mark at Personal Structures – Beyond Boundaries, with a compelling presentation of works by two distinguished South American artists: Chiara Baccanelli and Roberto Vivo.

Chiara Baccanelli and Roberto Vivo share a deep engagement with the themes of form and colour. Baccanelli, an Argentine emergent painter, and Vivo, a Uruguayan artist, writer and businessman, both investigate the boundaries between the natural and the abstract, using their respective mediums to explore the interplay of light, texture, and space. Their works, while varied in execution, resonate with their common interest in organic forms and the emotive potential of colour, creating a dialogue that is both introspective and expansive.

A dialogue between form and colour

In the historic setting of Palazzo Bembo, located near the iconic Rialto Bridge in Venice, Chiara Baccanelli and Roberto Vivo’s artworks are juxtaposed in the same exhibition space, engaging in a visual dialogue that bridges the two artists’ distinct artistic approaches. This shared room becomes a site of interaction where the painter and sculptor explore complementary themes, allowing their works to resonate and reflect off one another.

Chiara Baccanelli presents a series of paintings that highlight her fascination with the organic forms found in nature. Her works, titled Cooper, Lobelia Cardinaris, Garance, and Prusse Prussian Rhythms, capture the delicate balance between structure and spontaneity. Baccanelli’s brushstrokes vary from wide and expressive to subtle and precise, creating compositions that evoke a sense of tranquillity and harmony. Her use of colour is both vibrant and controlled, drawing inspiration from the natural world to create a visual language that is abstract and deeply connected to the essence of life.

In contrast, Roberto Vivo's works, Otris, Tris, Bonetris, The Shape of Us, and Structura Organica n°1, explore the fluidity of form through sculpture and painting. Vivo’s sculptures, cast in bronze, are marked by their textured surfaces and organic shapes that seem alive. His use of colour, particularly deep blues, gold and earth colours, adds a layer of symbolic meaning, suggesting themes of transformation and the cyclical nature of existence. and the profound interconnections that bind all things together.

This thematic exploration continues with Vivo's large-scale sculpture, The Human Tribe Totem, displayed in the Marinaressa Gardens. This piece aims to be a powerful commentary on the human condition, urging a global perspective on diversity and unity. The Totem invites visitors to engage with the earth and the four cardinal directions, symbolising the potential for a unified human community that transcends cultural and national boundaries. Vivo’s sculpture is a call to action, advocating for global peace and justice in a world fraught with conflict.

Coral Gallery’s participation in Personal Structures 2024 underscores the rich contributions of Latin American art to contemporary discourse. Through the works of Chiara Baccanelli and Roberto Vivo, the gallery presents a varied exploration of form and colour that speaks to the broader themes of humanity and our relationship with the natural world. Their art challenges us to look beyond the surface, considering the deeper connections that bind us to each other and to the world around us.