WILLEMSTAD – The new owners of the former Quarantine Building in Mundo Nobo are exploring whether the historic monument can be transformed into a cultural center.
A temporary pop-up exhibition, which opened last Friday, is giving the public a rare opportunity to visit the three-story building and experience its history and architectural character. The exhibition will remain open until Sunday, July 12, but only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The Quarantine Building, located behind the Curaçao Museum, dates back to 1856 and was originally built as an annex to a military hospital. According to the organizers, the building also served as an internment camp during the Second World War, housing Germans, Austrians, Italians, NSB members, communists, anti-colonial activists and Jewish refugees.
In 1969, the Curaçao Academy of Fine Arts, better known as Akademia di Arte, moved into the building. Several artists who remain active in Curaçao today received their training there.
The Quarantine Building in Otrabanda
The monument had been in poor condition for many years before Gwen Anderson and Alex Postma purchased it in 2023. Initial plans to convert the building into apartments proved unfeasible due to the restrictions that apply to renovations of protected monuments.
Anderson and Postma are now examining whether the property can serve a cultural purpose. The temporary exhibition is being seen as a first step in that direction.
Visitors will also be able to view one of the building's most striking features: a large chimney that runs from the ground floor all the way above the roof of the third floor.
Artists participating in the exhibition include Angel Luis de la Rosa, Gwen Anderson, Osmani Arias Jerez, Jhomar Loysa and Alfredo Mendoza. De la Rosa also has his studio inside the building.
According to the organizers, the exhibition is intended to show what role the former Quarantine Building could play in the future of art and culture in Curaçao.