In 1958, Industrias Kaiser Argentina (IKA), whose headquarters were in the province of Córdoba, launched the I Salón IKA [1st IKA Salon], aimed at giving greater exposure to local artists and their work. The Salon was originally limited to artists from Córdoba, but in the four subsequent editions the scope was widened to include artists from other provinces as well. In 1961, IKA decided to expand the parameters of the event to include the whole country, and organized an international, biennial painting contest. These Latin American Art Biennials were not only promotional vehicles for IKA, they were also an expression of the company’s Pan-American policy, endorsed and promoted by the [Organization for American States] (OAS.) J. F. McCloud’s introduction to the catalogue for the 3rd Latin American Art Biennial highlights IKA’s efforts, dating back to 1958, to organize and sponsor the IKA Visual Arts Salons, which led to the Biennials in 1962. He clearly states what he, and therefore IKA, sees as the function of the Biennial: “a medium for cultural expression; a vehicle for a more active dialogue between nations; a means for greater understanding among the people of the Americas” […] “this medium contributes to the promotion and appreciation of Latin American art and culture.” He also refers pointedly to the fact that the event is sponsored by an industry, quoting those who think of “contemporary art as a direct result of our technological-industrial civilization,” and suggests that the goal of a company should be to “integrate both material and non-material values; the worlds of technology and of art,” without overlooking the benefits to the company’s image. He ends by endorsing the idea that industry in general “has a complex mission in contemporary society,” and claiming a significant role in that process: “We build together. And together we create culture. That—purely and simply—is what we have done.” McCloud’s statement leaves his audience in no doubt as to the company’s Pan-American policy, or as to the North American model upon which it was based, both in terms of a greater understanding among the Americas and the integration of art and technology.
