Pablo Neruda (1904–1973), winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971, wrote this essay for an exhibition of works by Nemesio Antúnez (1918–1993) that was presented at Brazil’s Museu de Arte Moderna in Río de Janeiro and São Paulo in 1958. The two men developed a friendship and enjoyed a creative relationship, jointly publishing the following books by Neruda with illustrations (consisting of prints of various kinds) by Antúnez: Tres cantos materiales (1948), Cien sonetos de amor (1959), and Arte de pájaros (1966). Backed by Neruda and the singer-songwriter Violeta Parra (1917–1967), Antúnez returned to Chile—after living in the United States and Europe and spending time at the Atelier 17 in Paris run by Stanley William Hayter (1901–1988)—and began working with traditional indigenous techniques. His subsequent ceramic works were influenced by the Quinchamalí (black pottery) of the Mapuche and Pehuenche peoples that is currently produced by their descendants who live in southern Chile.
Antúnez made a name for himself as an artist who explored a range of different disciplines, and was also actively involved in promoting important initiatives for Chilean art. In 1956 he started the Taller 99, whose members included artists and printmakers such as Luz Donoso (1921–2008), Pedro Millar (1930–2014), Eduardo Vilches (b. 1932), Roser Bru (1923–2021), Dinora Doudtchitzky (1914–2004), and Jaime Cruz (b. 1934), among others. The Taller provided a space where artists could experiment in a supportive environment that encouraged group works. It also offered formal art instruction, and several members helped to start the Escuela de Arte de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in 1959. Taller-99 moved to the Escuela’s Casa Central in 1961, and eventually found a home on the Escuela’s permanent premises. This allowed the Escuela de Arte to create a distinctive profile of its own. While the Facultad de Artes de la Universidad de Chile became known for painting and sculpture, the Escuela’s affiliation with printmaking left its mark on those who studied there.
In 1962 Antúnez was the director of the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, an affiliate of the Universidad de Chile. In 1969 he was appointed director of the MNBA (Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes), where he supported an experimental program that transformed the museum from its architectural roots and focused it on the Fine Arts. This led to the incorporation of other artistic disciplines that furthered its educational goals and encouraged greater contact with the general public. It also prompted the presentation of contemporary events such as the exhibition Salón de Otoño, Pinturas, Poemas y Explicaciones (1971), a solo show of works by Cecilia Vicuña (b. 1948), and Cuerpos Blandos by Juan Pablo Langlois (1936–2019). The museum’s innovative plans were violently interrupted by the coup d’état and subsequent military dictatorship (1973–90). In 1971, Antúnez was the presenter of the television show Ojo con el arte, a ten-minute program broadcast in prime time that was designed to provide art instruction to the general viewing public. [On the subject of printmaking and Antúnez, see the following in the ICAA Digital Archive: “Carta sobre el grabado” (doc. 749419); for more information on the evolution of printmaking, see: “El grabado contemporáneo” (doc. 773546) by Enrique Solanich or “Memoria fracturada del grabado chileno” (doc. 767023) by Jaime Cruz.]
