The Davidoff Art Initiative Presents The Inaugural Art In Lounges program

The Davidoff Art Initiative presents the inaugural Art in Lounges program featuring Dominican artist Fausto Ortiz in collaboration with Centro de la Imagen de Santo Domingo #DavidoffArts

Basel, Switzerland, June 13, 2016 – The Davidoff Art Initiative is pleased to announce that Dominican artist Fausto Ortiz has been selected as the inaugural artist to be featured in the Davidoff Lounges as part of the Art in Lounges program.

This program builds on Davidoff’s long-term commitment to bring recognition and greater international visibility to art and artists of the Caribbean region – a goal already pursued by the Davidoff Art Initiative’s Residencies, Grants, Dialogues, and Limited Art Editions. With this commitment in mind, the Davidoff Art Initiative, in association with Centro de la Imagen de Santo Domingo – the leading organization focusing on photography in the Dominican Republic – will present works by Fausto Ortiz in Davidoff lounges worldwide. Ortiz’s work will be on view in Davidoff stores globally, providing further exposure for Caribbean art on an international scale. 

For a limited time, art works in the Art in Lounges series will be available for purchase directly at the Davidoff locations where they are on display. Proceeds from these sales will be shared with the exhibiting artists.

In describing his work, Fausto Ortiz has said: “My work is the result of living in and surviving a Caribbean context, where changes and geographical mobility are the norm. Art is the only democratic space for us as humans to discern and craft our ideas, regardless of socioeconomic level or political beliefs. It is the perfect platform to express your feelings towards certain situations that affect you deeply. Photography is the key that opens the door to that space and allows me to engage in a dialogue with my environment to express my point of view."

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Fausto Ortiz (b.1970, Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic) was interested in visual arts from an early age. After having his first artistic experiences at the School of Art and Design MCM, in 1990, he began to focus on photography in 1998 and has since evolved his own distinct style and vision based on experimentation and the search for new expressive codes. He is a member of Grufos, a photography collective from Santiago and has participated in workshops at the International Center of Photography in New York. Ortiz works and lives in the Dominican Republic, where he teaches photography at the PUCMM University, Campus of Santiago. His works are part of prestigious collections, including but not limited to: the Organization of American States (OAS), Washington, USA; Museo de Arte Moderno, Santo Domingo, D. R.; Centro E. León Jimenes, Santiago de los Caballeros, D. R.; and Luis Gutierrez and Carmen Bermúdez’s private collection, San Juan, P.R.

ABOUT THE ART IN LOUNGES SERIES

The Art in Lounges gives a further dimension to Davidoff’s efforts to heighten the visibility and exposure of the arts of the Caribbean by transforming spaces in Davidoff lounges worldwide into temporary exhibition displays. These occasional presentations will allow visitors to appreciate contemporary Caribbean art and purchase examples of the works on display. 

ABOUT DAVIDOFF ART INITIATIVE

The Davidoff Art Initiative supports contemporary art and artists in the Caribbean, strengthens art organizations in the Dominican Republic, shares knowledge and expertise about contemporary art, and fosters cultural engagement between the Caribbean and the rest of the world. At the core of the Davidoff Art Initiative, Davidoff aims to support the cultural community of the Dominican Republic, where much of its production and many of its employees are based. The initiative brings opportunity and visibility to the art and culture of the wider Caribbean region, extending the company’s long-standing commitment to artistry, craftsmanship, community, and quality.

ABOUT CENTRO DE LA IMAGEN DE SANTO DOMINGO

Created in January 2011 by the Fundación Imagen 83, the Centro de la Imagen de Santo Domingo is a space dedicated to the study, analysis, instruction, promotion, dissemination, and appreciation of photography and video in Dominican Republic. Centro de la Imagen is the first organization to be dedicated to the promotion and development of photographers and video artists in the Dominican Republic. The main objective of this non-governmental organization is to serve as a catalyst in the development of Dominican photographers and video artists from their teenage years to their adult life.

ABOUT OETTINGER DAVIDOFF AG 

Oettinger Davidoff AG with sales of over CHF 600 million and 3,500 employees around the world, traces its roots back to 1875 and remains family-owned to this day with two distinctly different businesses: One that is focused on FMCG distribution in the Swiss market and the other is dedicated to the core business of producing, marketing and retailing premium-branded cigars, tobacco products and accessories. The premium-branded cigar business includes Davidoff, AVO, Camacho, Cusano, Griffin’s, Private Stock, Zino and Zino Platinum. The Oettinger Davidoff AG business is anchored in a strong “crop-to-shop” philosophy, having pursued vertical integration from the tobacco fields in the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua to the worldwide network of over 70 Davidoff Flagship Stores that complement a network of strong Appointed Merchants around the world.

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