PANAMA CITY, Panama – The exhibition “Returning to Panama: Art, Memory, and Diplomacy in the Bicentennial of the Amphictyonic Congress”, an initiative of Panama’s Ministry of Culture (MiCultura) and the Organization of American States (OAS), was inaugurated last week at Panama’s City of the Arts, where it will remain on view through November 10, 2026.
The exhibition brings together 40 works by Panamanian artists from the collections of the Art Museum of the Americas (AMA) and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Panama (MAC Panamá), creating an unprecedented dialogue between the two institutions centered on memory, identity, and cultural diplomacy.
The exhibition was first presented June 22–24 as part of the 56th Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly, held in Panama within the framework of the commemoration of the bicentennial of the 1826 Amphictyonic Congress of Panama.
Panama’s minister of culture, María Eugenia Herrera, emphasised that “this exhibition, which brings to the public essential works of our cultural memory, takes on special significance during the Bicentennial year of the Congress of Panama, that historic gathering convened by Simón Bolívar in 1826, by highlighting the symbolism of this return home.” She added, “The exhibition transforms the City of the Arts into a space for civic engagement and reflection, reaffirming the Ministry of Culture’s commitment to promoting art as a vehicle for representation, dialogue, and historical memory.”
OAS assistant secretary-general Laura Gil underscored that the partnership among MiCultura, MAC Panamá, and the Art Museum of the Americas exemplifies the power of cultural diplomacy as a tool for strengthening ties among the peoples of the Hemisphere.
“This collaboration not only promotes the OAS art collection and the values it represents, but also strengthens dialogue and cooperation among cultural institutions across the Americas,” said, assistant secretary general Gil.
MAC Panamá director María Lucía Alemán recalled that during the 1950s, when artists such as Guillermo Trujillo, Coqui Calderón, Alfredo Sinclair, Alberto Dutary, and Trixie Briceño emerged, Panama had neither art galleries nor a museum dedicated to contemporary art.
“We are proud that the ministry of culture invited us to develop this exhibition together with AMA, bringing both collections into dialogue and creating an opportunity to reflect on the role of our institutions in preserving the artistic heritage, memory, and identity of our peoples,” director Alemán added.
The exhibition presents an unprecedented dialogue between works from the collection of the OAS Art Museum of the Americas, in Washington, DC, and the permanent collection of MAC Panamá. This encounter offers visitors a unique opportunity to appreciate the continuities, affinities, and transformations reflected in the careers of Panamanian artists whose work has transcended national borders.
The title “Returning to Panama” refers to this symbolic gesture: works that represented the country abroad for decades return home to engage in dialogue with MAC Panamá’s national collection and to be reinterpreted within the historical and cultural context from which they originated.
The selection features artists represented in both collections, as well as contemporary creators whose works explore themes such as territory, identity, archives, memory, sovereignty, and social transformation.
In total, the exhibition includes 25 works from AMA and 15 works from MiCultura. Featured artists include Guillermo Trujillo, Julio Zachrisson, Alberto Dutary, Olga Sinclair, Susana Arias, Trixie Briceño, Giana De Dier, José Castrellón, Cisco Merel, Enea Lebrún, Rachelle Mozman, and Alfredo Martiz.