This article published in the Boletín de Artes Visuales summarized the exhibition Exposición de arte suramericano de hoy that was presented in the United States by José Gómez Sicre at the Museum of Fine Arts, Dallas (Texas) in October 1959. The exhibition represented “a new perspective and understanding of South America” and Gómez Sicre’s curatorial project explained a break from the stereotypical perception of what was considered “local or indigenous,” often driven by official institutions without even the most basic knowledge of the lexicon of contemporary art. The exhibition included what he felt were the seventy most outstanding artists from the countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Notable in the essay was the inclusion of Marta Traba’s commentary, the Argentinean art critic residing in Colombia who enthusiastically approved the selections made by Gómez Sicre. The article also included two black and white photographic views of the exhibition space in the MFAD with the work of Manabu Mabe, Rodolfo Opazo, Luis Seoane, Elsa Gramcko, Aldemir Martins, Alberto Dávila, and Raquel Forner.

The exhibition Exposición de arte suramericano de hoy exemplified the various measures exerted by the department of visual arts in promoting Latin American contemporary art. In this case, the technical support that was provided to the MFAD (Museum of Fine Arts, Dallas) by the curator of the exhibition, José Gómez Sicre (1916–91), facilitated a broader dialogue between recent artistic trends, in addition to the introduction of new names to the existing national and international art canon. Toward the end of the fifties, the Cuban art critic and promoter began establishing a professional association with Marta Traba (1923–`1983) due to the intervention of Colombian artists Alejandro Obregón, Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar, and others, who had recommended Traba to write an essay on contemporary art in Colombia as part of the series Arte en Latinoamérica de hoy published by the OAS (Organization of American States) [on this subject, see in the ICAA digital archive “Outline of Contemporary Art in Colombia,” by Marta Traba (doc. no. 1214185)]. At the time, the exhibition reflected the changing canonical model of Latin American art promulgated by the author.

[For further reading, please refer to the ICAA digital archive and the following texts published by the Boletín de Artes Visuales: issue number one, “Al Lector,” by José Gómez Sicre (doc. no. 1212757), and “Tenemos voz” (anonymous) (doc. no. 1313144); issue number two, “Al Lector” (doc. no. 1217213">1217213), and “Nota Editorial – Discurso del Presidente Kubitschek” (doc. no. 1212803), both by Gómez Sicre; and issue number three, “ABC para coleccionistas,” by John I. H. Baur (doc. no. 1216533). See also the following from issues four to twelve written by Gómez Sicre: issue number four, “Nota editorial: Arte, Obstáculos y Aranceles” (doc. no. 1213046); issue number five, “Nota editorial” (doc. no. 1213092), and “Advertencia” (doc. no. 1213178); issue number six, “Nota editorial” (doc. no. 1214108); issue number seven, “Nota editorial” (doc. no. 1216407), and “VI Bienal de São Paulo” I (doc. no. 1216426); issue number eight, “VI Bienal de São Paulo” II (doc. no. 1215567); issue number nine, “Nota editorial” (doc. no. 1216445); issue number ten, “Al Lector” (doc. no. 1216461); issue number eleven, “Al Lector” (doc. no. 1216479), and “Gran Premio Bienal de São Paulo” (doc. no. 1216495); and issue number twelve, “Al Lector” (doc. no. 1217213">1217213)].