Documents of Latin American and Latino Art

In response to the absence of artists, such as Pablo Picasso and Juan Gris at the Contemporary Spanish Art Exhibition shown at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in December 1947, the Argentinian artists expressed their disagreement by signing a [...]

This article is a review of the Premio Torcuato Di Tella 1966 [The Torcuato Di Tella Prize of 1966]; it describes the panorama and points out that on this occasion the Pop artists have rediscovered the attitude of creation; within it the personal is [...]

Tomás Maldonado reflects on the role of the artist in society, given that it is the career-like class that enjoys success and acclaim. Maldonado fully identifies with the concept of rebellion, and says that he is prone to subvert the taste of the [...]

Juan Carlos Paz defines New Music and that which contributes efficacious elements and solutions and points out the importance of the rise of dodecaphony for these new proposals. He stresses that dodecaphony is responsible for the experimentation [...]

This introductory text for Guilio Carlo Argan’s exhibition analyzes the relationship between ideology and technique in order to inquire into the position and destiny of art within that context of ideas. Keeping in mind the self-directed nature and [...]

Ignacio Pirovano presents Enio Iommi’s exhibition (Galería Bonino, September-October, 1969) with a thorough analysis of the different periods involved: his background, the Concrete Art period, the phase begun in 1950 since the dissolution of the [...]

This foreword by Aldo Pellegrini indicates the changes of direction produced in the period of five years separating the first Arte Nuevo [New Art] exhibition and this sixth show, which he characterizes as a passage from the intellectual to the vital [...]

This is an analytical essay in which Edgar Bayley affirms the autonomy of the pictorial image. Based on that opinion, widely held among his generation, he champions “invention” over symbolism, expressionism, and romanticism [...]

The text clarifies that upon agreeing to the organization of a Contrabienal, as a protest against the 1971 São Paulo Biennial, the MICLA [Latin American Cultural Independence Movement] is not replacing one exhibition for another. Instead, it is [...]

This text reports that the students at the Bellas Artes schools, both the Prilidiano Pueyrredón and the Manuel Belgrano (Buenos Aires, Argentina), were detained and accused of usurpation; they had been meeting to guarantee the continuance of the [...]

In this essay, Alfredo Hlito reflects on the particular features of Concrete art. He discusses the viewer’s perception of the meaning of Concrete works of art, which involve neither a process of recognizing objects nor any form of association, but [...]

Rafael Squirru presents the exhibition by artists Eduardo Mac Entyre and Miguel Angel Vidal, identifying it as a sample of “generative art,” as it has been called by Ignacio Pirovano, in tandem with the writings of Georges Vantongerloo. In this [...]

Lawrence Oliver expresses his opinion here on Jorge Romero Brest’s methods at the Premio Torcuato Di Tella [Torcuato Di Tella Prize], specifically in terms of the support provided to the most talented artists that enabled them to present works they [...]

The members of the jury assigned to participate in the 1964 Instituto Torcuato Di Tella Prize, Jorge Romero Brest, Clement Greenberg, and Pierre Restany have decided to grant the International Prize to Kenneth Noland, and also recommended the [...]

The jury for the 1966 Premio Internacional Instituto Torcuato Di Tella [Instituto Torcuato Di Tella International Prize], composed of Lawrence Alloway, Otto Hahn and Jorge Romero Brest, awarded the first prize to Susana Salgado, second prize to [...]

The jury appointed to judge the 1964 Premio Instituto Torcuato Di Tella [Torcuato Di Tella Institute Prize]—whose members included the critics Jorge Romero Brest (Argentina), Clement Greenberg (United States), and Pierre Restany (France)—decided [...]

José Alberto García-Martínez presents Luis Centurion’s exhibition, highlighting the importance of his portraits. He also points out the synthesis of the form brought about through his drawing. Huge chromatic planes with which he expresses the [...]

In his double function as director of the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes [National Museum of Fine Arts] and art consultant of the Fundación Torcuato Di Tella in Buenos Aires, Jorge Romero-Brest wrote the prologue for the Argentinean Painters Prize [...]

In this introductory text for works by Enio Iommi, Pellegrini highlights how the artist’s sculpture broke with the traditional criteria of volume, weight and quiescence by juxtaposing spatial structure against volume. His analysis dates three [...]

This text, written by Julio Le Parc, states that cultural penetration is used in Latin America as a weapon of domination by the United States imperialism, which also seeks to control the means to value artwork at the international level. He also [...]

This introductory text for the exhibition Forum: grupo de fotógrafos contemporáneos [Forum: a contemporary photographers’ group] places emphasis on the artist-photographer who, through the developing process, manipulates lights in its subtle [...]

This article is an introduction to the exhibition, Grupo de Artistas Modernos de la Argentina. Pinturas, esculturas, dibujos [Modern Art Group of Argentina. Paintings, Sculptures, Drawings]. The Concrete artists included in the exhibition were [...]

Samuel Paz presents Juan Carlos Badaracco, mentioning that because this is his first show, this exhibition (Galería Rubbers, Buenos Aires, April–May, 1960) points out a phase in which the artist put aside his monologue  in order to offer himself [...]

Rafael Squirru introduces Narcisa Hirsch’s exhibition (Galería Lirolay, August–September, n/d), and he acknowledges the dramatic quality of an artist’s first solo show. Squirru stresses that Hirsch’s education and professional attitude are [...]

In this text, Aldo Pellegrini introduces the Luis R. Tomasello exhibition held at Galería Denise René in Paris (November 1962). He emphasizes that the works presented make use of spatial volumes that are subordinated to the plane in which they move [...]

This text outlines Blaszko’s opinion concerning the artist’s mission; it explains the artist’s method, which includes the use of rhythm and the interplay of conflicting forces while ensuring that the resulting forms are always governed by the [...]

This text by the French critic, Pierre Guéguen, analyzes the unbiased searches of twentieth century art insofar as they represent a spiritual adventure and a true revolution, scandalizing a whole era. In this regard, he considers the grupo Madí [ [...]

This text transcribes the article published in the French newspaper Le Monde reporting that the Federal Police Department of São Paulo sent to the local newspaper Folha de São Paulo a list of news items forbidden to be published. The censored [...]

This note expresses support for the occupation of the Argentinean Building of the University Boarding Complex of Paris. The intellectuals that signed this note expresses their solidarity with and fraternal support of the protesting residents and [...]

Samuel Paz wrote this letter to Jorge Romero Brest while the former was in Paris. It refers to the details of the negotiations with different galleries to secure the works for the Premio Torcuato Di Tella 1967 [1967 Torcuato Di Tella Prize]. Paz [...]

This is a letter Samuel Paz wrote in New York to Jorge Romero Brest, in which he provides the details regarding the negotiations with different galleries undertaken to obtain works that would participate in the Premio Torcuato Di Tella 1967. [The [...]

This study signed by Juan Carlos Distéfano,Francisco Kröpfl, Fernando von Reichenbach and Humberto Rivas sets forth objectives and a structural schematic. It likewise makes projections on budgets as well as the infrastructure necessary for the [...]

Jorge Romero Brest writes to Alicia [Pérez] Penalba about an exhibition of her work that is scheduled for the Centro de Artes Visuales del Instituto Torcuato Di Tella [Center for Visual Arts of the Torcuato Di Tella Institute], which coincides with [...]

Mario Pucciarelli, the winner of the 1960 Torcuato Di Tella Institute Prize, writes to Guido Di Tella, describing his artistic activities in Rome, according to the regulations of the prize. He keeps him posted about the exhibition, in progress al [...]

Jorge Romero Brest writes to Enio Iommi inviting him to participate in the Torcuato Di Tella Institute Prize (1962 edition), enclosing the rules. In addition, he informs him that he will be able to apply for the National Prize (and eventually for the [...]

After receiving a telegram about the exhibition in the Torcuato Di Tella Institute, Alicia Penalba communicates her agreement to the terms therein to Jorge Romero Brest, although she believes that precautions must be taken due to the political [...]

After being invited to participate in the Torcuato Di Tella National Prize (Buenos Aires), the artist Claudio Girola sends this letter from Chile to Jorge Romero Brest thanking him for his inclusion but declining the invitation for personal reasons [...]

Argentinean art critic Rafael Squirru, then general director of cultural relations at the Foireign Office of Argentina responds to the survey sent by Jorge Romero Brest regarding both the means for and the actual selection of the artists for the 1962 [...]

Jorge Romero Brest writes to art critic Rafael Squirru, then general director of cultural relations at the Foreign Office of Argentina informing him about the new format for the Torcuato Di Tella Institute Prize. This will include works by national [...]

The Argentinean art critic Cayetano Córdova Iturburu responds to the survey sent by Jorge Romero Brest in regards to both to the means for and the actual selection of the artists for the 1962 Torcuato Di Tella Institute Prize. The critic proposes to [...]

After receiving the invitation to participate in the Torcuato Di Tella Institute Prize (Buenos Aires), Enio Iommi sends this letter to Enrique Oteiza telling him his personal reasons why he will not able to participate. According to his ethical [...]

Guido De Tella responds to Mario Pucciarelli’s suggestions in regards to the new requirements for the Torcuato Di Tella Institute Prize, explaining that they will consider his advice about not making travel a condition of the prize. Nevertheless, [...]

Mario Pucciarelli, artist, winner of the 1960 Torcuato Di Tella Institute Prize, writes to Guido Di Tella, keeping him posted about his activities in Rome, in line with the prize’s previously stipulated regulations, highlighting the repercussions [...]

Alicia Penalba writes that, despite being honored by the invitation, she must decline to participate due to several problems: the art collector who was going to lend works for the exhibiton urgently needs to install them in his garden and the other [...]

The letter sent by artist Nicolás Rubió to Samuel Paz expresses his dissatisfaction due to the impossibility of carrying out Operación corpiño [The Bra Operation], an action that consisted of depositing a collection of bras and panties at the [...]

This document is a letter from Samuel Paz to Jorge Romero Brest, who was visiting the United States at that time. It reports the steps taken to attain the participation of artists Kenneth Noland, Morris Louis, Pol Bury and Mark Brusse for the Premio [...]

This document is a letter from Samuel Paz to Jorge Romero Brest, who was visiting New York at that time. It reports the latest news regarding the Centro de Artes Visuales del ITDT [Art Center at the Torcuato Di Tella Institute] linked to the [...]

This letter by León Ferrari responds to the concepts raised by Ernesto Ramallo in the article “Los artistas argentinos en el Premio Di Tella 1965” [The Argentinean Artists in the Premio Di Tella 1965] published in the newspaper La Prensa [The [...]

León Ferrari’s letter states that, after he exhibited some works whose content condemned the United States intervention in Vietnam, the newspaper La Prensa [The Press] accused him of being “communist.” Consequently he wrote his response that [...]

In this correspondence, E. de Wilde reports on his arrival in Buenos Aires, having departed from São Paulo (Brazil); it also offers some information regarding the reservation of passages for him and his wife [...]