For over four decades, Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT) has been the meeting point for thousands of new and established artists. This space has contributed to the discovery, spread, and exhibition of music, theater, plastic arts, dances, and all kinds of creative expressions, all of which has significantly enriched the border region's cultural wealth.

True to form, one of the most outstanding artistic and cultural events is currently taking place at CECUT: Trienal de Tijuana: 2. Internacional Pictórico (2nd Edition of Tijuana’s International Picturesque Triennial Festival), an exhibition that brings together more than 80 artists from different countries from all over the world. This is a multi-sensory and artistic experience like no other in northwestern Mexico where visitors will have the chance to vote for their favorite artists until August 27.

In its 2nd edition, this triennial celebration is proposing to go even beyond the traditional concept of a "painting" in order to explore new manifestations of what is "picturesque" in contemporary art, transforming this discipline into a creative laboratory full of experiments.

Art as an expression and communication outlet

Trienal Tijuana: Internacional Pictórica came to be thanks to an idea by plastic artist and cultural promoter Álvaro Blancarte, in cooperation with the Secretariat of Culture and CECUT with the goal of supporting Mexico's artistic talent in order to position this border city as a cultural landmark and reference.

Blancarte's idea was clear: through an international call they invited artists to rethink the possibilities of art as a creative medium in order to explore new dimensions and techniques that challenge what is traditional.

The key thematic concepts guiding the endeavors of this edition include corporeality, identity, and land.

Artists from 15 different countries answer the call of the 2nd International Picturesque Triennial Festival

Of the 537 proposals received from the call published in May 2023, works of art by 86 artists coming from 15 countries such as Mexico, United States, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, England, Costa Rica, Cuba, Venezuela, Panama, Ecuador, Paraguay, Spain, and Peru were chosen.

This final selection presents a wide assortment of themes such as artificial intelligence, migration, and different types of violence, created both by emerging and established artists transforming this festival into a diverse and unmissable once-in-a-lifetime exhibition.

Leonor Amarante, a distinguished Brazilian professor who has been responsible for the review and selection of these artistic proposals, is in charge of this exhibition’s curatorship.

Support your favorite artist: voting open to the public

During this triennial exhibition, voting in which you will be able to choose your favorite artist will take place. The winner will win $1 million pesos and 2nd and 3rd places will receive honorable mentions, corresponding to $250,000 pesos to each respectively.

Winner selection will take place through a voting process that will involve a guest curator, participating artists, and the public at large. To ensure transparency and equality during voting, an electronic website has been set up, in which visitors can vote for their favorite pieces of art: https://votaciontrienal2024.mx:8443/.

This portal forbids artists from voting for themselves and prevents duplicate votes from the public. This website will be open until 11:59 PM on August 27, when the competition ends. Winners will be announced on September 5.

This complete exhibition will be displayed in three areas of Centro Cultural Tijuana: El Cubo, the Marta Palau Room, and the Ground Floor Room, all of which will offer visitors an immersive and diverse artistic experience.

Explore the picturesque

Dr. Vianka Robles Santa, managing director of Centro Cultural Tijuana, has stated that the 2nd Trienal Internacional Pictórica is one of the most important projects embraced by this administration as its goal goes way beyond enriching the region's artistic landscape.

"This is a space that celebrates artists' creativity and talent, but at the same time, it invites spectators to get actively involved in the evaluation process and awarding of artworks," she said.

During the inauguration ceremony, Sergio Blancarte, son of master Álvaro Blancarte and creator of the Triennial festival concept, was present and gave a speech highlighting the importance of promoting art and culture in the region.

Tickets for this exhibition are available at CECUT ticket booths and on its official website: www.cecut.gob.mx. Admission is free on Sundays and you will be allowed into all different kinds of art rooms.

CECUT is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 7 PM. To learn more, check out their social media pages:

Facebook: /cecut.mx
Instagram: @cecut_mx
Website: www.cecut.gob.mx