{"id":20970,"date":"2026-02-12T20:24:59","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T20:24:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2026\/02\/12\/elsa-maldonado-and-nicole-bainov-want-to-rewire-the-caribbean-art-scene\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T20:25:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T20:25:03","slug":"elsa-maldonado-and-nicole-bainov-want-to-rewire-the-caribbean-art-scene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2026\/02\/12\/elsa-maldonado-and-nicole-bainov-want-to-rewire-the-caribbean-art-scene\/","title":{"rendered":"Elsa Maldonado and Nicole Bainov Want to Rewire the Caribbean Art Scene"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Installation view: \u201cThe Fragility of Ancestral Time\u201d at Casa Velazquez in Santo Domingo. Courtesy Heliconia Projects<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While contemporary Caribbean artists\u2014particularly those working within the diaspora\u2014are beginning to receive greater commercial and institutional attention internationally, much of what is unfolding in the region\u2019s local scenes remains disconnected from the global art world. The newly launched nomadic gallery Heliconia Project aims to support and connect these ecosystems of artists, collectors and art professionals, not only in the Dominican Republic but throughout the Caribbean. Its goal is to build global pathways for Dominican and Caribbean art while cultivating local arts scenes capable of sustaining themselves over the long term.<\/p>\n

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At the helm are two Venezuelan-born art professionals, patrons and collectors, Elsa Maldonado<\/a> and Nicole Bainov<\/a>, who, after relocating to the Dominican Republic, saw this gap and felt compelled to act. Drawing on their experience in the international art world, they created a platform grounded in the specificities of the local context, its histories and its communities.<\/p>\n

Maldonado comes from a long line of established collectors and art philanthropists, while Bainov brings over a decade of experience working across major art institutions and blue-chip contemporary galleries in London, as well as her early engagement with collecting. Together, they envisioned Heliconia Project as a flexible, context-driven model that amplifies Caribbean voices through international business standards while remaining attuned and specifically responsive to the region\u2019s cultural and social realities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe felt that we could do something\u2014at least provide a bit of cultural presence, with our international experience,\u201d they told Observer. What began as a one-off show soon evolved into a professional gallery\u2014one of the few currently active in the Dominican Republic and, most importantly, one spotlighting Caribbean talent on international platforms.<\/p>\n

\"Portrait\"Portrait
Elsa Maldonado and Nicole Bainov. Courtesy Heliconia Projects<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Dominican Republic has experienced rapid economic growth in recent years, driven largely by tourism. In 2025 alone, the country recorded a historic 11.6 million visitors, the highest number of arrivals in its history and a sign of sustained expansion rather than a simple post-pandemic rebound. At the same time, the Dominican Republic has attracted a growing international population, becoming a destination for retirees, remote workers and long-term foreign residents, particularly from North America and Europe. Most expatriates today are concentrated in Santo Domingo, Punta Cana, Saman\u00e1 and Las Terrenas.<\/p>\n

Maldonado and Bainov see the potential of this expanding audience to support local artists. \u201cThere\u2019s a small handful of collectors\u2014some of them sit on boards like the Reina Sof\u00eda or even the Latin American board of the Guggenheim\u2014and they do try to invest in local art, support projects and donate to museums,\u201d they noted. \u201cThe issue is that there simply aren\u2019t that many people supporting local artists consistently.\u201d Heliconia was born from this desire to cultivate a community that could do so while encouraging greater engagement from the international art world with contemporary Caribbean practices.<\/p>\n

The Dominican Republic\u2019s leading modern and contemporary art institution, Museo de Arte Moderno in Santo Domingo, is located in the Plaza de la Cultura Juan Pablo Duarte. While its programming has strengthened in recent years, Maldonado and Bainov said that many efforts to develop the local art ecosystem remain driven by private initiatives. Two key institutions in this regard are Centro Le\u00f3n, a major private museum and cultural center in Santiago de los Caballeros, and Museo Bellapart, an essential reference point for Dominican modern art in Santo Domingo.<\/p>\n

Even with these institutions, there are few platforms for local artists, particularly those in the early stages of their careers when first exposure and sustained encouragement are critical. Heliconia provides that space while also offering the curatorial rigor needed to properly contextualize and elevate these practices. \u201cWe\u2019re very institutionally aligned. We want to get our artists into institutions and give them museum-quality shows. That\u2019s the priority,\u201d they emphasized.<\/p>\n

\"Exhibition\"Exhibition
Heliconia Projects reactivated Casa Vel\u00e1zquez, an emblematic landmark where layers of Caribbean coral stone and French-laid brick reveal a complex architectural history. Courtsesy Heliconia Projects<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Heliconia Projects intentionally chose a nomadic format that could respond to the distinct profiles and behaviors of the island\u2019s communities and support the creation of site-specific projects. By reactivating historical locations and engaging with the colonial or identitarian memories they carry, the gallery uses these spaces to prompt new conversations or turn inherited narratives on their head. \u201cThe island itself has different centers\u2014Santo Domingo, Santiago and then areas that are growing quickly, largely because of international residents coming in,\u201d Bainov said, pointing to an established international community with many people in finance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe question for us became: how do we speak to all these people who don\u2019t think of the Dominican Republic as a place to buy art, only as a place to vacation? Going nomadic helps us avoid saturating a small market by producing too many exhibitions in one location. People don\u2019t have the financial capacity to support a constant schedule, and fatigue sets in fast,\u201d Maldonado explained. \u201cInstead of waiting for collectors to come to us, we go to them\u2014without compromising the curatorial integrity,\u201d Bainov added. This approach allows them to create more context-specific, memorable presentations that often interact with the architecture and the island\u2019s layered history. \u201cWherever we do a show, the space is part of the curation. If we had only one fixed space, we\u2019d lose that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Heliconia Projects recently opened a new exhibition at Casa de Campo to support the community, with proceeds benefiting a foundation that aids children in an impoverished area. \u201cFor us, it\u2019s a way to give back to the country where we live, while nurturing the local art scene,\u201d they said. Titled \u201cWHERE MEMORY TAKES SHAPE,\u201d the show features a roster of both international and regional artists\u2014including Emiliana Henriquez<\/a>, Mahsa Tehrani<\/a>, Adelisa Selimbasic<\/a>, Natia Lemay<\/a> and Emily Pope<\/a>\u2014who explore how the human figure has served as a site where memory accumulates gradually and unevenly, often beyond the reach of language.<\/p>\n

When programming on the island, they often present international Latino artists to foster dialogue and exchange. \u201cThat\u2019s how we gain validation with the community,\u201d they said. Conversely, when they mount exhibitions abroad or participate in fairs, they prioritize including at least one or two Dominican artists. \u201cThe long-term goal is to help Dominican artists build careers beyond the Caribbean and Latin America\u2014to enter stronger collections and institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Crowded\"Crowded
Heliconia Projects\u2019s first exhibition, Brittany Fanning\u2019s \u201cScenes & Revelations.\u201d Courtesy Heliconia Projects<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another goal is bringing renewed attention to Dominican artists who may have been overlooked internationally, even if they are already recognized within the country\u2019s institutional landscape. One such artist is Fernando Varela, who has had major retrospectives in the Dominican Republic and in Puerto Rico\u2014but not beyond the region. When Heliconia Projects showed his work at NADA Villa Warsaw, they succeeded in placing it at MS1 in \u0141\u00f3d\u017a, the first modern art museum in the world. \u201cThey have a strong focus on constructivist artists\u2014figures like Joaqu\u00edn Torres-Garc\u00eda from Uruguay\u2014and Fernando fits into that discourse. They recognized him as part of that modernist lineage,\u201d Bainov pointed out.<\/p>\n

When it comes to emerging talent, Maldonado and Bainov are closely following young artists, though they acknowledge that, in the absence of a functioning ecosystem, one of the greatest challenges is convincing younger creatives that pursuing art is a viable career pathway. Many promising people eventually give up and take day jobs out of necessity.<\/p>\n

And because opportunities to study art and to travel for education are still limited for many, Heliconia also prioritizes education and accessibility. \u201cWhen we organize exhibitions, we try to make it clear that anyone can come, that these spaces are not closed or elite,\u201d Bainov said. Communication is key in this effort, particularly through social media. \u201cWe use Instagram heavily. People often ask us whether there\u2019s an entrance fee, and we tell them, no\u2014bring your friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Two\"Two
Installation view: Fernando Varela\u2019s \u201cEchoes of the Other\u201d in Warsaw. Courtesy Heliconia Projects<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Heliconia also works closely with local curators, writers and media outlets that have emerged on the island. The current scene is animated by a younger generation intent on doing things differently. \u201cThere are maybe 10 Instagram accounts here that consistently cover art and culture, which is actually a lot in this context,\u201d Maldonado said. Connecting the dots can go a long way toward not just bringing visibility to a place and its people but also activating cultural and creative ecosystems. You never know what impact an exhibition will have\u2014especially in places where people haven\u2019t been exposed to much art or the international art world.<\/p>\n

The ecosystem in the Dominican Republic may not yet be fully formed, but all the prerequisites for its growth are in place\u2014and Heliconia Projects\u2019s founders are deeply committed to supporting that development: \u201cWe have to be patient. Since we started, we\u2019ve already seen others adopt similar approaches, and we have started selling locally, which is a good sign. It means people see value in what\u2019s happening.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n

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