The Calderón Guardia Museum, located in the Escalante neighborhood, has opened to the public the exhibition “Active Past and Present” by artist Crisanto Badilla. The show brings together more than thirty paintings in various formats alongside four sculptures, with both color and the human figure serving as its central themes.
“The exhibition spans a lengthy period of research focused on the search for color in nature, going beyond the conventional color-theory textbook. It proposes how colors play essential roles in adapting to the environment and in species survival, inviting visitors to explore different approaches to these topics and to form new perspectives on the experiences and perceptions that arise when nature interacts with human creations like art. Another section of the show places the human being in a timeless space, in connection with the cosmos,” explained Crisanto Badilla.
Luis Rafael Núñez Bohórquez, director and curator of the Calderón Guardia Museum, added: “For this exhibition, Crisanto leads us into the complexity of human existence, weaving together tangible reality and the mysteries of the cosmos. He invites us to expand our emotional horizons and to question the world around us, opening a space for fresh interpretations, while also showcasing his sculptural work in pieces such as Sleeping City (2022) and Dancing God (2022).”
“Active Past and Present” runs through August 16, 2025, and is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Calderón Guardia Museum. Admission is free and open to all. Guided tours can be booked by emailing reservasmcg@gmail.com.
Work by Crisanto Badilla, Calderón Guardia Museum exhibition
Crisanto Badilla | Biography
Born March 1, 1941, in Heredia province, Badilla earned his degree in Fine Arts with a sculpture emphasis from the University of Costa Rica, where he later served as a professor. He furthered his studies with specialized training in Mexico and Spain.
He has held numerous exhibitions at home and abroad. Eighteen of his works and monuments occupy public spaces in Costa Rica and countries such as Germany. In 1996, he received the Grand Prize at the Sculpture Contest “50 Years of the State of Israel” from the Costa Rican Center of Science and Culture.
His honors include the 1973 National Sculpture Prize “Aquileo J. Echeverría,” first prize at the First National Print Salon of the Costa Rican Art Museum in 1989, and first prize representing Costa Rica at the Xerox Painting Contest in Managua, Nicaragua, in 1977. He won the 1976 First Central American Sculpture Prize “Juan Rafael Chacón” at Sala Julián Marchena and the 1974 Acquisition Prize at the First Central American Biennial of the Central Reserve Bank in San Salvador. In 1969 and again in 1991, he received honorable mentions at the National Insurance Institute’s Painting Contest and the “Meeting of Cultures” Print Contest at the Costa Rican Art Museum, respectively.
