Participant Christel Monsanto was born in Germany and has lived in Curaçao for more than 50 years. She brought this tiny object that means a lot to her. “This is the Cola Debrot prize, a general culture prize that is awarded every year. My late husband Tony Monsanto won this prize in 2009. He was an architect and a visual artist.”

Tony Monsanto was a representative of Curaçaoan visual artists who had traveled abroad to develop their craft after 1960. He was a well-known figure in the Caribbean and Latin American art world. Monsanto incorporated references to Caribbean legends, Afro-Caribbean traditions, and dealing with the complexity of identity into his work. After returning to Curaçao in 1999 he mainly participated in international art shows.

Monsanto played a significant role in the creation of greater visibility for the modern art of Curaçao. Public interest in visual arts has grown significantly in the last decades. In 2006 artists Tirzo Martha and David Bade founded Instituto Buena Bista (IBB), the center for contemporary art in Curacao located on the premises of a mental institution. Our very own Cleo de Brabander was one of the first students to graduate from IBB.