Pausing to Evolve and Amplify Artistic Impact

AYARKUT is temporarily freezing its current operations as we seek ways to evolve and create a new project that can make an even greater impact through art.

AYARKUT’s Mission of Social Change Through Art

Since its inception, AYARKUT has been dedicated to fostering contemporary art that sparks critical dialogue, inspires action, and drives meaningful societal impact. Here are some of the key achievements of our project.

Supporting Artists as Agentsof Social Change

AYARKUT has always recognised the power of artists to raise awareness, challenge societal norms, and ignite important conversations.

Enriching the Art Ecosystem

We’ve created opportunities for artists to flourish, offering expertise, connections, and visibility through our diverse projects.

Decentralising Culture

By collaborating with local groups of art professionals, we have brought culture to diverse regions and people.

Selected Collaborations

Collaboration: Cobertizo

[1] In Jilotepec De Abasolo, Estado de México, "Cobertizo" is a non-profit artistic residency with the goal of promoting and connecting contemporary art, specifically focusing on production processes. It aims to foster this practice within an environment of collaborative critical reflection and curatorship support. The beneficiaries include 7 artists (Brun Viruete, Diana Barquero, Enrique Arriaga, Fernando Zarur, Maria Gabier, Samuel Lasso, Sonia Bandura), three curators (Mauricio Marcin, Fabiola Iza, Daniel Garza Usabiaga), and 50 assistants.

Collaboration: LaBIAR

[2] LaBIAr provides tools to assist artists in professional development at different stages of their projects. Alma founded LaBIAr with a vision of meeting the needs of visual artists, drawing from her experiences. Her goal was to create a platform that supports artists and equips them with essential tools for growth. LaBIAr serves as a research lab, offering a mentoring program where artists can bring their ideas to life as tangible projects with guidance from professionals. Beneficiaries include: Mariana Toff, Leslie Pita, Betzabee, Lluvia Guevara, Stephanie Vortex, Rocio Soria, and Alejandra Flores.

Collaboration: Vertice MArCE

[3] MArCE operates from the town of Santa Clara Coatitla, State of Mexico. It promotes artistic processes that converge with local knowledge to generate actions that impact the community that receives and nurtures the project, fostering connections between artistic, ecological, gastronomic, and human rights promotion practices among its residents.‍ Beneficiaries: 276 (270+6).

Collaboration: Ayarkut Talks

[4] In early 2023, Ayarkut launched "Ayarkut Talks" in Mexico City with the event "Alternative Economy Models in Contemporary Art." This event, co-curated by Terremoto and PAC, brought together international and Mexican artists, curators, and scholars to explore alternative economic models in contemporary art and discuss the complex relationship between money and ethics.

Collaboration: Ayarkut Pages

[5] Ayarkut Pages is a project that offers a bi-monthly video series exploring global art opportunities, co-curated by cultural agency ipureland.art. Andrea Bustillos and Anna Evtiguina discuss approaches and principles of artists’ support with representatives from international artist residencies, as well as their specific programs available to Latin American artists. 3 interviews were conducted.

Collaboration: Voices

[6] Art of Change is a video series that immerses you in the world of artists and curators passionately committed to solving pressing social problems. We will show how art affects the world through dialogues, project reviews and intimate peeks into the artist's studio. 8 interviews were conducted.

Collaboration: El Cuarto De Los Ojos Sucios

[7] "The Room of Dirty Eyes" is a mediation and curatorial project specializing in contemporary painting. It is organized by art historian, professor, curator, and art critic Sandra Sánchez, and painter, professor, and art critic Eric Valencia. In each session, a painter is invited to present a live artwork for discussion with the audience. The beneficiaries include 6 direct beneficiary artists, 6 curators and writers, and 131 in-person attendees.

Collaboration: Miercoles de SOMA

[8] SOMA is a non-profit civil association founded in Mexico City in November 2009 by a group of artists. They came together to create a unique platform dedicated to cultural exchange and the teaching of the arts. Every Wednesday, SOMA opens its doors to the public and invites experts from various disciplines and generations to discuss their artistic practices. The program includes panel discussions, artist talks, and book and sound presentations, among other activities. So far, 73 speakers and experts, as well as 7000 participants, have benefited from SOMA's initiatives.

Collaboration: Nodos in León, Guanajuato

[9] NODOS is a collaborative effort between the Ayarkut Foundation and PAC (Patronage for Contemporary Art in Mexico). It serves as a platform for dialogue and exploration, bringing together individuals from various artistic fields across Mexico and LATAM. Through workshops, experimental activities, and open discussions, NODOS aims to foster connectivity and collaboration. To date, 545 individuals have benefited from this initiative.

Collaboration: the Artbat Festival in Kazakhstan

[10] At the festival, we installed public art in popular public spaces, including installations, objects, and AR art pieces. These works were intended to attract citizens' attention, inspire, educate, and bring about social change. The direct beneficiaries included 11 individuals: Saule Suleimenova, Saken Narynov, Said Atabekov, Yelena and Viktor Vorobyev, Saule Dyussenbina, Lauren Moffatt, Eli Joteva, Laya Mathikshara, Vladislav Sludskiy, and Akzel Beisembai. Additionally, there were 500 participants in education events and 20 public talks and other activities.