We explore the diverse range of media by four artists selected to represent the country of Costa Rica at this year’s 55th Venice Biennale event.

French painter Paul Gauguin is famous for his impressive output of warm hued scenes of Polynesian natives.

Through the use of abstract expressionist language, photography and collage Franck de las Mercedes creates a lasting account of his emotive vision of the world.

Costa Rica’s capital city is sunny San José, the inspiration and occasional theater for the work of Federico Herrero, a painter who enjoys international success both commercially and critically.

With degrees in agronomy and public administration, Jorge Restrepo is truly a multimedia artist whose work blurs the boundaries between areas as diverse as education, environmental issues, animal rights, and relational aesthetics.

Miguel Ángel Asturias introduced the richness of indigenous Guatemalan culture to the world through his works as a writer, poet, playwright and diplomat. In 1967 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Victor Vega is considered one of the most important exponents of Costa Rican cinema, he belonged to a generation of directors that tried to make the world aware of the reality of Costa Rican life through their powerful social-realist documentaries.

One of the most popular musical genres in Latin America, Reggaeton is an expression of the diverse mixture of cultural influences which contribute to life in South America, and particularly in the home of Reggaeton, Panama.

The Fancy Fish sells artworks and gifts specially chosen by owner Judy La Roche from local artists.

Valanti Gallery was inaugurated in 1974 with an exhibition of the recognised Costarrican artist Rafael Fernández. Although for the first ten years the gallery promoted only Costarrican artists, the gallery added Latin American artists to their repertoir.

After several generations of focusing on antiques and classic artwork, this family-run gallery moved into a larger space and began adding contemporary works to their repertoire.

Galeria Huellas Pintor Santos Medina is dedicated to showing the work of local established artists Santos Medina and Karmen Garcia. Each working in paint, their art depicts the colour and traditions of their Native Nicaragua.

Allegro took its first steps in 1991 with group shows that featured some of the best-known artists of Panama, such as Brooke Alfaro, Isabel De Obaldía, Teresa Icaza, Olga Sinclair, Eduardo Navarro, Tabo Toral, and Juan Carlos Marcos.