Art Rooted in the Forest

Costa Rican photojournalist Glorianna Ximendaz transformed her experience into an “Anti-Residency,” marked by a personal process of mourning and liberation after confronting a painful family secret. Inspired by the Monteverde cloud forest, her work did not result in conventional pieces but rather in performative actions and symbolic gestures that explored memory, inherited violence, and feminine resilience. From an encounter with a scorpion to the ritual burning of memories tied to an abusive “hero,” Ximendaz turned pain into creative and cathartic strength.

Durante su residencia en el Hotel Belmar, la artista visual Arianna Montoya creó una serie de obras que exploran la memoria femenina rural de Monteverde a través del color, el movimiento y la empatía. Inspirada por relatos de mujeres locales y por su propio vínculo emocional con la región, Arianna tradujo historias orales en composiciones vibrantes que celebran la resiliencia, la nostalgia y la transformación.

As a sculptor, Jonathan Torres honors his family name by stacking life experiences in a towering, articulated collection of appreciations that delve into humankind’s role within and against nature. His quest's foundation was laid in early childhood, when he accompanied his father on days-long hunting ventures and joined his mother for guided hikes. From those days a vivid memory lingers... While walking through the shadows of a coffee plantation, a chance encounter with a cicada’s exuvia captured the attention of eight-year-old Jonatan, prompting a deep-seated fascination for insects and, specifically, their intricate exoskeletons.

In a recent podcast interview, artist Coquelicot Mafille mused over a seemingly simple question: "Where does one discover more art? Her response, concise yet profound, resounded deeply: "The Forest!" With these two words, she evoked visions of complexity, harmony, beauty, and fluidity. And perhaps, within this answer, she summoned something even greater, for shortly after, Coquelicot was selected as Hotel Belmar’s latest Resident Artist.