CÚMULUS: TEN YEARS OF ECOLOGY AND COLLABORATION IN PANAMA
The Panarte gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Panama hosts Cúmulus: 10+ Years of Estudio Nuboso, an exhibition celebrating over a decade of collaborative practices at the crossroads of art, science, and ecology.
Bringing together 25 artists from diverse backgrounds, the show revisits the most significant projects of this Panamanian platform founded by Ela Spalding in 2012, dedicated to cultivating bonds between human and non-human beings, between communities and territories.
The word cúmulus—which refers both to a type of cloud and to the accumulation of many immaterial things—serves as an image for the flexible, shifting networks woven by Estudio Nuboso over time. This approach is embodied in their SUELO methodology, which brings together art, thought, and regenerative practices to reconnect with the environment starting from the most fundamental element: the ground. Projects developed in Veraguas (2014), Colombia (2022), and a field guide in progress since 2020 reflect this conceptual and territorial expansion. The piece Soil-erg (2012) by Claire Pentecost serves as an early seed of inspiration.
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Cúmulus: 10+ años de Estudio Nuboso en MAC Panamá, 2025. Cortesía de MAC Panamá
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Cúmulus: 10+ años de Estudio Nuboso en MAC Panamá, 2025. Cortesía de MAC Panamá
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Cúmulus: 10+ años de Estudio Nuboso en MAC Panamá, 2025. Cortesía de MAC Panamá
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Cúmulus: 10+ años de Estudio Nuboso en MAC Panamá, 2025. Cortesía de MAC Panamá
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Cúmulus: 10+ años de Estudio Nuboso en MAC Panamá, 2025. Cortesía de MAC Panamá
The exhibition also revisits experiences from the Art and Science LAB, where artists and scientists engaged in collaborative research processes with social impact. From Chiriquí in 2015 to Barro Colorado Island in 2023, these initiatives led to interdisciplinary workshops for educators and residencies focused on tropical science, in collaboration with institutions such as STRI, SENACYT, and FundAHrte.
Cúmulus is not just a retrospective—it is also an active platform for imagining possible futures. Through the Nature-Culture Corridor Map, developed in collaboration with Almanaque Azul and Dominique Ratton Pérez, the exhibition space transforms into a participatory echo system, spotlighting key actors and gestures of care across Panama’s territory. A studio inspired by the El Jilguero Reserve—Estudio Nuboso’s physical and symbolic point of origin—serves as a space for reflection, documentation, and collective action.
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Cúmulus: 10+ años de Estudio Nuboso en MAC Panamá, 2025. Cortesía de MAC Panamá
The exhibition was curated by Juan Canela, Jennifer Choy, Mana Pinto and Ela Spalding, and the artists taking part are: Victoria Alegría, Mariela Aragón, Héctor Ayarza, Carolina Borrero, Wanda von Bremen, Lorena Carrasco, Ana Berta Carrizo, Rose Marie Cromwell, Carlos Fernández, Román Flórez, Laura Fong, Anna Handick, Tova Katzman, Silvia Noronha, Isabel de Obaldía, Claire Pentecost, Dominique Ratton Pérez, Mir Rodríguez, Tarina Rodríguez, Libertad Rojo, Jennifer Spector, Ani Ventocilla, José Carlos Zavarse, Emily Zhukov.
In a time of environmental crisis, this exhibition embraces art as a tool for connection, resistance, and hope. In the face of global challenges, Cúmulus offers a regenerative vision that is deeply rooted in place.
The exhibition is on view through August 17 at MAC Panamá, located on Calle San Blas, Ancón (Panama City).
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