Pulgar is a free magazine published independently in Caracas (Venezuela) and supported by the Prince Claus Fund (Holland). The magazine, edited since 1999 by artist and curator Luís Romero (Venezuela, 1967) defines itself as an 'occasional publication'. This term is a key factor in understanding the magazine's founding concept: a tool for alternative creative dissemination based on the excellence of its published materials. Not complying to a specific periodicity or a luxury status, its clearly defined visual identity responds only to the curatorial rigour demanded of each new issue.
With a track record of over 20 issues designed and produced by curators and artists from around the world, Pulgar currently attracts a faithful readership in Latin America, Asia and Europe. The magazine is circulated from hand to hand or on the web. It has also featured at a number of international art events, including special editions for the 12th edition of Documenta Kassel (Germany), the Utópolis exhibition at the Caracas National Art Gallery, the Santa Lucía Evening at Maracaibo (Venezuela) or the Medellín Encounters 2007, MDE07 (Colombia).
On the presentation of the Showcase Project and the special issue co-published by MUSAC
The site-specific project designed for MUSAC's Showcases is structured around a display reviewing the magazine's evolution from its establishment in the late 20th Century to the present. In parallel, MUSAC will co-publish, along with the Serralves Foundation (Porto) a special issue of the magazine focusing on art publications in Latin America.
The show covers Pulgar's history through a representative selection of material that has appeared on its pages. It highlights some of the regular features that have defined Pulgar's approach, such as exchanges between artists, networked productions or the highly rigorous curatorial gazes sustained throughout the magazine's successive issues.
The project's opening will include the presentation of a special issue of Pulgar co-published by MUSAC and Serralves. With a print run of 4,000 copies, this new publication shall focus on publishing practice(s) as one of the axes guiding contemporary visual creation in Latin America today. From the vantage point that Pulgar provides, an essay will delve into the growing vitality and interest of the processes and ideas, as well as the sustained creativity that underpin the sphere of publishing in Latin America through a wealth of contributions.
This special issue will feature contents provided by a range of contributors and editorial projects including Ácido Surtido (Argentina), Revista Recibo (Brazil), Revista Asterisco (Colombia), Revista Lengua (Dominican Republic) des-bordes (Mexico), or populardelujo (Colombia), amongst others, as well as leading cultural agents connected to the publishing world like Andrew Losowsky, director of Colophon (USA) or David Palacios, who heads projects such as Arte-Porcentual (Venezuela).
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