The Dominican Society of Visual Artists (SODAV) is challenging a prize awarded at the 2025 National Biennial of Visual Arts, urging the Ministry of Culture to revoke the decision due to a violation of contest rules.
In an official statement dated 5 September 2025, SODAV requested the annulment of the award given to “Lo que se saca de Raíz Vuelve a crecer” (What is Taken from the Root Grows Again), a piece by artist Karma Davis Pérez that won in the sculpture category. The statement, signed by SODAV president Francisco Sánchez Guanabacoa and secretary Alescar Ortiz, argues that the piece is a “living sculpture” composed of a royal palm tree. SODAV asserts that the National Biennial’s venue, a museum, lacks the protocols and facilities to properly preserve such a piece.
“Within the framework of the current regulations and structure of the museum, there are no protocols or conservation methods for a living organism, which puts its preservation as a material and cultural asset of the country’s heritage under observation,” the statement reads.
Read more in Spanish:
Diario Libre
8 September 2025