Guillermo de Torre (1900–1971) was a Spanish essayist, poet, and literary and art critic who belonged to the Generation of 1927. He was a literature professor at the Universidad de Buenos Aires who devoted himself to art and literary criticism; he was also a founding member and literary consultant of Losada Publishing House.
This exhibition took place in April 1951 at the Instituto de Arte Moderno of Buenos Aires. In 1949, the Instituto de Arte Moderno was founded by Marcelo De Ridder (1923–1973) with the goal of preserving and stimulating the development of arts culture. Although its programming was eclectic, it was an important space for the dissemination of abstract art; especially because it housed several important exhibitions such as Arte abstracto, del arte figurativo al arte abstracto [Abstract Art, from Figurative Art to Abstract Art] (1949), Exposición Arte Concreto: Pinturas / Esculturas / Dibujos [Concrete Art Exhibition: Paintings/Sculptures/Drawings] (1950) and Joaquín Torres García: pinturas [Joaquín Torres García: Paintings] (1951).
The catalogue includes another text titled “A la memoria de Torres-García” [In Memory of Torres-García] by Álvaro Fernández Suárez. In this text, Guillermo de Torres was reacting to the opinions of critic Julio E. Payró (1899–1971) published in issue 177 of the magazine Sur [South]. This debate later led to a survey concerning the denominations of abstract, concrete, nonfigurative or nonobjective art. Various artists and critics responded to the survey which was published in issue 209/210 of the same magazine. This survey can be traced through the following documents: ¿Arte abstracto o arte no objetivo? : [“Arte abstracto” es y no es un término adecuado.”] [Abstract Art or Non-objective Art? : “Abstract Art” is and is not an appropriate term] (document no. 757530); ¿Arte abstracto o arte no objetivo? : [¿Agregamos algo a la pintura si decimos arte abstracto o arte no figurativo] [Abstract Art or Nonobjective Art? : Do we add something to painting if we call it abstract art or non-figurative art?] (document no. 757649); ¿Arte abstracto o arte no objetivo? : [En la sesión inaugural del primer congreso de la “Escuela de Altamira”] [Abstract Art or Non-objective Art? : In the inaugural session of the “Escuela de Altamira” First Congress] (document no. 757489); ¿Arte abstracto o arte no objetivo? : [En su minuciosa “Respuesta a Julio E. Payró” publicada en el número. 202] [Abstract Art or Non-objective Art] [In his detailed “Response to Julio E. Payró” published in issue 202] (document no. 762983): ¿Arte abstracto o arte no objetivo? : [la expresión “arte abstracto” utilizada para referirse a las tendencias…] [Abstract Art or Non-objective Art? : the expression “abstract art” used to refer to trends…] (document no. 742825); ¿Arte abstracto o arte no objetivo? : [no creo en la posibilidad de cambio en la actual terminología de que…] [Abstract Art or Non-objective Art? :I do not believe in the possibility of a change in the current terminology…] (document no. 742858);¿Arte abstracto o arte no objetivo? : [opino que la palabra “abstracto”, tratándose de arte, es impropia de…] [Abstract Art or Non-objective Art? : I think that the word “abstract” is inappropriate when referring to art…] (document no. 742171); ¿Arte abstracto o arte no objetivo? : [Prefiero el término “arte abstracto” como término generalizador y ya…] [Abstract Art or Non-objective Art? : I prefer the term “abstract art” as a generalizing term…] (document no. 742187); ¿Arte abstracto o arte no objetivo? : [Resulta harto desagradable poner un nombre a cada cosa. Desde el bebé al…] [Abstract Art or Non-objective Art? : It is disagreeable and tiresome to name everything. From the baby to…] (document no. 757674); ¿Arte abstracto o arte no objetivo? : [Sin el ánimo de disentir gratuitamente en la cuestión entablada entre Gui-…”] [Abstract Art or Non-objective Art? : Without wanting to gratuitiously disagree on the proposed question between Gui-…] (document no. 742202); ¿Arte abstracto o arte no objetivo? : [Toda denominación de una tendencia artística es convencional, sirve pa-…] [Abstract Art or Non-objective Art? : All denominations of an artistic trend are conventional, serving to-…] (document no. 742156); ¿Arte abstracto o arte no objetivo? : Carta abierta a Guillermo de Torre…[Abstract Art or Non-objective Art? : An open letter to Guillermo de Torre…] (document no. 742838); ¿Arte abstracto o arte no objetivo? : en su minuciosa “Respuesta a Julio E. Payró” publicada en el número 202 [Abstract Art or Non-objective Art? : In his thorough response to Julio E. Payró” published in issue 202]; Carta a Guillermo de Torre…] [Letter to Guillermo de Torre…] (document no. 742834); La revista Sur [Sur Magazine] (document no. 742715); Madí o el arte esencial : En torno a la controversia sobre el arte no-figurativo [Madí or Essential Art: On the controversy of non-figurative art] (document no. 742696).
This article documents the first exhibition held in Buenos Aires after the death of Joaquín Torres-García (1949).