Chiquita’s recent promotion on Instagram offering free tickets to Art Basel Miami Beach has sparked controversy due to the company’s history of labor rights abuses and involvement in violent incidents in Latin America. As scholars of contemporary Latin American art and bananas, we find it disturbing that Chiquita, formerly the United Fruit Company, is now sponsoring a fair so deeply rooted in Latin American art.
The company’s sponsorship of Art Basel Miami Beach comes on the heels of a civil case in which Chiquita was found liable for financing paramilitary killings in Colombia. Throughout history, Chiquita has been linked to numerous controversial events, including the 1928 Banana Massacre in Colombia and the 1954 coup d’état in Guatemala. Therefore, the company’s attempt to whitewash its image through art sponsorship is appalling.
Despite being listed as an official partner on the art fair’s website, Chiquita’s presence has sparked outrage among those familiar with the company’s dark past. The fair organizers have since limited promotion of Chiquita’s activation on their website due to high demand.
In a city known as the “capital of Latin America,” Miami has long been a hub for Latin American artists, galleries, and collectors. Art Basel Miami Beach has become a platform for showcasing art from Latin American countries, making Chiquita’s sponsorship even more jarring.
Instead of promoting multinational branding, Art Basel Miami Beach should highlight the work of Latinx and Latin American artists who address Chiquita’s colonial abuses. Artists like Luis Camnitzer, Rachelle Mozman Solano, Andrea Chung, and Nicolás Dumit Estévez have used their art to confront the company’s practices and should be given more recognition at the fair.
As attendees of Art Basel Miami Beach, we urge others to focus on Latin American artists and galleries, choose fair trade bananas as a snack option, and protest creatively against Chiquita’s presence. Taking inspiration from artists who have carved messages into banana peels, we can send a powerful message against the company’s exploitation of Latin American people.
In conclusion, Chiquita’s sponsorship of Art Basel Miami Beach is unacceptable, and attendees should take a stand against the company’s attempts to art-wash its image. By supporting Latinx and Latin American artists and promoting fair trade practices, we can challenge Chiquita’s presence at the fair and uphold the integrity of Latin American art.
