Commentary by painter and art critic Eduardo Moll on the I Salón de Arte Abstracto held in Lima (January 1958), which he participated in and helped organize. Moll emphasizes the large number of participating artists and artworks, stating that this is the first collective exhibition on abstract art in Peru. He affirms the need to declare that “realism and academism can no longer be the only visual arts trends of our time.” He also argues that abstract art is relevant to the time and — because it was developed during the last four decades— that it should be assessed carefully in Peru. He praises the show, whose quality surpassed the standard set for the local scene, thus validating the well-chosen selection criteria. Lastly, Moll offers a brief analysis of the artists in alphabetical order, although he highlights the works shown by Benjamín Moncloa and Fernando de Szyszlo.

During the 1950s, under pioneering abstract artists Juan Barreto (1913-91), Juan Manuel de la Colina (n. 1917), Antonino Espinosa Saldaña (1893-1969) and Enrique Kleiser (1905-77), Peru abandoned the narrow framework of experimentation (both solitary and private) characterized by the limited formulations of non-figurative painting that had prevailed at the end of the 1940s. Although the latter [artist’s] show, held in 1950, was the first featuring this trend in the country, it fell to a new generation of artists to wage the definitive battle for abstract art. Thus, the triumph of painter Fernando de Szyszlo (n. 1925) —who won the III Salón Moncloa, held in Lima on October 1955— indicated the value obtained by abstract painting at the end of two years of sharp debate on its relevance for the country [regarding the III Salón Moncloa, see in the ICAA digital archive, “En blanca y negra,” by Luis Miró Quesada Garland (doc. no. 859754)].

The I Salón de Arte Abstracto, organized by painters Eduardo Moll (n. 1929) and Benjamín Moncloa (n.1927), undoubtedly took on greater significance. It took place at the Museo de Arte de Lima (Jane 1958) and was the first collective show featuring non-figurative art in Peru. The high number of participants (thirty in total) included the most talented young artists on the local scene [“I Salón de Arte Abstracto” (no author listed) (doc. no.  1143441)]. Despite the negative reviews generally garnered by the show, [see those by Sebastián Salazar Bondy (1924–64) [“Visita al Salón de Arte Abstracto,” (doc. no. 1137318)] and painter Carlos Aitor Castillo (1913-2000) [“Primer Salón de Arte Abstracto,” (doc. no. 1137342)], the Salón foretold the importance that non-figurative language would play in the following decade, even though it would continue to have opponents such as Castillo (see in the ICAA digital archive “Primer Salón de Arte Abstract” by Garland (doc. no. 1137215)].