After two years in virtual mode due to the Covid-19 pandemic, participants now have until June 5 to witness live art exhibitions, artistic and educational presentations, workshops, film screenings and many more daily surprises, without forgetting the hygiene protocols.
All activities are free and, according to the municipality, aim to “promote, strengthen and disseminate the artistic and cultural values of Guatemala City, to bring the arts closer to the neighbors and to promote family recreation”.
The festival opened last Friday at the Metropolitan Cathedral with the presentation of the work “The symphonic rainmaker” by singer-songwriter and composer Ranferí Aguilar, accompanied by wind instruments (flutes and whistles) built by Maestro Carlos Chaclán.
The youth symphony orchestra and the municipal vocal camera joined the musical premiere in a stunning fusion of strings and horns that highlighted the harmony of the ancestral sound instruments.
One of the most visited attractions of the festival is the unusual exhibition of sand sculptures in the Central Plaza by seven invited foreign artists.
At the same time, a children’s sandpit allows little ones to experiment and create their own ephemeral works of art.
Other proposals include a journey through 200 years of art, history, architecture, painting and engraving, as well as a selection of texts, images and interpretive activities developing daily life in the city.
The open-air cinema also stands out, with the exhibition of old short films with soundtrack, which make up the country’s film heritage, and the book fair organized by the Guatemalan Booksellers Association.
The work El Portal de la Sexta, an artistic jewel to appreciate the urban landscape and the life of the Guatemalans from the perspective of its author, Baron Augusto de Succa, in 1872, also attracts the attention of those passing through the historic center walk.
The painting is on display for the first time after it was recovered at an auction in Paris by neighbors who are committed to heritage preservation.
As usual, the gastronomic corner, the Acoustic Shell, with artistic performances, and the Metropolitan Cathedral with offers for guided tours await families.
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