John Leguizamo

Last night, on September 22 Colombia is Passion celebrated the New York opening of the cultural exhibition “Discover Colombia Through Its Heart” at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal with a ceremony honoring Colombian-born actor John Leguizamo and a festive gathering featuring lively South American entertainment and ethnic cuisine.

The exhibition featured seven interactive 13-foot tall heart-shaped sculptures spotlighting different features of Colombia, from its diverse culture and landscape to its native artists, including world-renowned artist Fernando Botero, Grammy Award-winning musician Shakira and Nobel Prize-winning writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez, amongst others. The exhibition will be free and open to the public through September 28, 2009.

The glamorous crowd of international guests included Andres and Lauren Santo Domingo, Alejandro Santo Domingo, Carlos de Souza, artist Andres Serrano, model and actress Veronica Webb, Paul and Dayssi Kanavos, designer Jamison Ernest and model girlfriend Kristy McQuade, designer Victor de Souza and Michelle Harper, Colombian-born designer Jorge Afanador and model Sandra Nyanchoko, stylist and designer Benjamin Liu, Tim Hunt of the Warhol Foundation, Colombian entrepreneur Jose Perez , President of Cine Colombia Munir Falah, Executive Chairman of GPC Group Frank Kanayet, Colombiamoda Director Alicia Mejía, Creative Director of Nancy Gonzalez Santiago Gonzalez, President of Proexport Maria Elvira Pombo, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Luis Guillermo Plata, and President of the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia Juan Esteban Orduz .

“Discover Colombia Through Its Heart” debuted in Washington, DC on September 5 before traveling to New York City. The exhibit also includes 40 smaller heart sculptures, which will be on display at Madison Square Garden and Penn Station, as well as outside schools, in parks and in other high-traffic public areas. All of the heart sculptures for the exhibition were created by a creative team of Colombian professionals selected from across the country. The exhibition will also include musical and cultural performances and other educational programs.

John Leguizamo notes that “it is very important that the world discovers the amount of intelligence, creativity, and talent of our country.” Maria Claudia Lacouture, General Director of Colombia is Passion, adds “we would like the ¿whole world to see our reality with its own eyes. We therefore decided to do the impossible: bring our country around the world.”

The Colombia is Passion campaign was developed to promote the country abroad and encourage business investment, tourism and enhanced cultural relations with other nations. The logo of the campaign is a heart, which symbolizes the passion of the Colombian people.

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