Mucho Fernando Botero in his hometown - Medellín, Colombia

[José Balido]

 

A most fortunate few cities have the luxury of being identified with an internationally famous artist who inevitably ends up being an ambassador of sorts for his or her home town. Colombia‘s second largest city (and very up and coming destination) Medellín is a perfect example, because this is the stomping grounds of Latin America‘s best known living artist, Fernando Botero, whose double-wide work is instantly recognizable by many across the world. One of the prime visitor attractions of capital Bogotá is the Botero Museum in its historic core, La Candelaria, but for many around the world, the 85-year-old dean of Latin American art is represented by his outdoor public installations, many in prestigious spots including the Champs-Elysées of Paris, New York City‘s Park Avenue, and Les Rambles in Barcelona. And though Botero these days lives mostly in Paris, his home town has unsurprisingly turned into... keep reading