January 27 – March 26 |  Somerville Museum, 1 Westwood Rd, Somerville

Created by two of Latin America’s leading artists – José Falconi from Peru and Santiago Montoya from Columbia – Bittersweet expands upon their original collaboration in Columbia, titled, “El Dorado Chocolaterie.” This reference to the foundational myth of “El Dorado”— that elusive city where everything was covered in gold, derives from the earliest days of colonization in the 16th century when countless explorers mounted expeditions in search of it. Over the years, the myth has served as an allegory for the ongoing search and exploitation of Columbia’s immense natural wealth, a symbol for get-rich-quick schemers who traffic in its resources from gold to quinoa, from emeralds to cocaine.

Sure to attract the attention of critics and art-lovers from Somerville and beyond, Bittersweet reimagines the elusive paradise of gilded beings long sought by South American explorers. Instead of gold, however, these explorers will enter into the subconscious world of sweets, turning the Museum into an enormous chocolate factory where with the exchange for a hot cup of cocoa will be the visitor’s time.

Related Programming

Opening Reception: due to COVID restrictions this event will be private

Chocolate Stories Salon Series: Fridays throughout February and March | More information and dates to come.

Valentine’s Day at Bow Market: Friday, February 11 | 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Join us for an evening of chocolate and discussion at the Bow Market fire pits. Admission is $10/person; members free. Space will be limited, check back for ticket availability.

Sweet City: A History of Candy Manufacturing in Somerville, Cambridge, and Boston: Thursday, February 17 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. | Join us for a virtual evening about the history of sweets by beloved confectioner Jeremy Spindler of Spindler Confections. Admission is free but donations are welcome. Check back for ticket availability.

Kalliope Reed Quintet Community Concert: Friday, March 25th | 6pm | Join us for an evening of music and chocolate. Admission is $10/person; members free. Check back for ticket availability.

Chocolate Family Day Series: Saturdays throughout February and March | More information and dates to come.

Curator + Artist Tour/Talk: Date TBD | $10 admission fee; free to Museum members.

Closing Reception: Saturday, March 26 | 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. | Admission is $5/person; members free.

Community Partners
The Somerville Museum along with Community Curators, José Falconi and Santiago Montoya, are pleased to be working with organizations and members of the community. While the list continues to grow we’d like to acknowledge these relationships:

Taza Chocolate

Prophecy Chocolate

Spindler Confections

gâté comme des filles

Mudflat Studio

Bow Market

Aeronaut Brewing

Santiago Montoya
Born in 1974 in Bogotá, Colombia, Santiago Montoya now lives and works in Miami, USA. Montoya’s practice has been dedicated to the exploration of notions of value, nationalism, commodities and the universal consequences and nuances of the production and distribution of wealth. Initially a painter, an inspired progression was to incorporate the actual raw materials in his work – global currencies, gold, silver, copper and other precious materials – exposing the disconnect between official state ideologies and reality itself. Montoya captures the collective consciousness, questioning the systems of power and shining a light on the disparities, injustices, and the absurd. Montoya’s works combine a wry humour and acute insight on a global subject that affects us all, and the inherent systems and structures that we live by.

Recent exhibitions include a solo presentation with Offshoot Arts at Context Art Miami;  ‘Elsewhere(s)’ at Untitled Art Fair, curated by José Luis Falconi and Estrellita Brodsky, Miami; ‘Seeds of Resistance’ at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum in Michigan, USA and Art Museum of the Americas, Washington D.C.  Montoya has upcoming solo exhibitions at the Somerville Museum in Massachusetts, USA and DRCIAS at Harvard, Massachusetts, USA in 2022. Montoya’s work is highly collected in both public and private collections, including MFA Boston, AMA Washington D.C, Jill & Peter Kraus, and Estrellita and Daniel Brodsky, amongst others.