September 28, 2025 0 Artwork spotlight, Contemporary art, Costa Rica Belinda 18 Months of MÍRAME Expanding Visibility for Costa Rican Art See this week's newsletter. When MÍRAME Fine Art launched eighteen months ago, it did so with one aim: to support Costa Rican artists in a context where gallery infrastructure and collecting networks remain underdeveloped, and to situate their work within the wider discourse of Latin American art. The goal was to create a platform that could bring this work to wider audiences. Though Costa Rica is the core focus, we see the work as part of Latin America’s evolving contemporary art discourse. This first year and a half has been about building the groundwork for this goal. Our focus has been nurturing artist relationships and reaching new audiences, with steps being taken to place a variety of Costa Rican work into international contexts. These efforts signal the beginning of a long-term mission: strengthening visibility for Costa Rican artists and securing lasting support for their practice, within Costa Rica and around the world. The name MÍRAME — “look at me” — speaks to visibility. It signals the urgency of paying attention to artists whose work has often gone unseen and positions the gallery as a point of focus for contemporary practice in Costa Rica. Building a Foundation within the Latin America Art Scene Roberto Carter, El Recuerdo del Primer Fulgor, OIi on canvas From the outset, MÍRAME’s priority has been meeting the artists and listening, understanding their processes. San José, the country’s capital city and cultural hub, has provided a base for this work, a place to attend openings, follow conversations and meet new artists. We love our trips to San José for studio visits, to touch base with ours artists' practices and support exhibitions in the city. In Guanacaste, the gallery has sought to extend visibility by engaging with a region and its collectors beyond the typical tropical motifs. The launch of the weekly What’s On blog was another step in supporting the local ecosystem. By highlighting exhibitions, events and appearances, the blog aims to create a record of activity and directs attention to the artists’ presence in the national scene. We also feel it's really important to support the country's galleries and museums by raising awareness of their institutions and artistic programmes within Latin American art and beyond. It's about showing Costa Rica as a cultural destination, as well as one focused on ecotourism. Parallel to its local work, we have explored ways of introducing Costa Rican art to wider, international audiences. The first pop-up exhibitions, held at the Andaz and Mangroove hotels in Guanacaste, created opportunities to present contemporary work in settings where international visitors could encounter it directly. During the Andaz Art Weeks, we built our own walls and took over one of the hotel studio spaces, transforming it into a temporary gallery that overlooked the ocean. These events provided access to collectors who responded with enthusiasm to the quality and originality of the work being produced in Costa Rica. MÍRAME at Future Fair 2025, NYC. Featuring Carolina Guillermet and Fabian Monge. In 2025, participation in Future Fair in New York marked another step: Costa Rican artists were shown alongside Latin America art and contemporaries from across the world. For us, this was the beginning of positioning national voices within a broader conversation and we aim to continue nurturing these relationships. Early acquisitions by collectors in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom indicate the potential for expanding international reach. Each of these transactions has been supported by secure delivery systems, demonstrating that Costa Rican art can move confidently across borders and into established collections. Our relationships with shipping companies like DHL have also been strengthened, growing our own logistical confidence. Direct Patronage Model MÍRAME was created to simplify the path between artist and collector. Proceeds from sales go directly to the artists, who receive a higher commission percentage than traditional gallery setups with physical spaces. We want the artists' to receive ample resources for studio space, materials and more ambitious projects. Every acquisition represents stability for an artist’s practice and contributes to building recognition for Costa Rican and Latin American art in collections abroad. Alongside this commitment to direct patronage, the gallery has invested in understanding how technology can expand its reach. From search optimisation to the integration of augmented reality tools, digital strategies have become essential to how MÍRAME operates. These tools allow collectors to encounter artworks in new ways, which we feel is a vital part of expanding the reach of Costa Rican art while reflecting a wider shift across the gallery sector towards stronger digital infrastructures. Looking Ahead The first eighteen months have established a solid foundation. The next stage will focus on deepening engagement with artists, expanding access for collectors and advancing the recognition of Costa Rican contemporary art as integral to Latin American art contribution to the international art world. As we continue to move forwards, we aim to organise further physical pop-up exhibitions in Costa Rica, building on the strong response these events have already received from collectors and visitors. At the same time, MÍRAME will continue to focus on international opportunities, whether through art fairs, institutional collaborations, or curated exhibitions, to place Costa Rican artists within broader conversations about contemporary practice. We are indebted to the artists for their trust and to the collectors whose early support has made this foundation possible. That support will remain essential as MÍRAME continues its work. Belinda Seppings, Co-Founder, MÍRAME Fine Art MÍRAME Contact Information: MÍRAME Fine Art Email: [email protected] Follow: Facebook | Instagram Costa Rican Art | Latin American Art
