Documents of Latin American and Latino Art

This letter, addressed to Alfredo Rodríguez Arias, invites him to participate in Experiencias 1968 [The 1968 Practices]. It states that 60,000 Argentinean pesos would be provided to realize the experience. It likewise stipulates that letters [...]

This negative critical commentary by Daniel Alberto Dessein points out that, although the exhibition costs of La Menesunda [Hodgepodge] were well-known, its content proved so surprising to the public that it became reminiscent of the millions [...]

María Rosa G. Villar sent this letter to the newspaper Córdoba as a reaction to the commentary made by critic Ernesto Isele that appeared in this same publication under the title “Algo acerca de La Menesunda” [A Few Words [...]

The jury for the Premio Internacional Instituto Torcuato Di Tella 1965 [1965 Instituto Torcuato Di Tella International Prize], which consisted of Giulio Carlo Argan, Alan Bowness, and Jorge Romero Brest, voted to purchase Cuatro Habitaciones [Four [...]

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 is a letter sent by Jorge Romero Brest to E. de Wilde, Director of the Stedelijk Museum [City Museum] of Amsterdam in which he explains that, although he regrets their disagreement, the Instituto Torcuato Di Tella does not disclose beforehand [...]

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 [...]

This text announces the prizes as well as the rules that will govern the presentation of works for the Premio Nacional and the Internacional (Instituto Torcuato Di Tella, 1965). The announcement also states that works for the Premio Nacional will be [...]

The critic reflects on Informal art by summarizing the different names that it has been given: art autre, action painting, art informel, art brut, etc. Romero Brest proposes to call it either Virginal or Un-constructive art, even though he deems [...]

Regulations announcing both the artists invited to participate at the Torcuato Di Tella Institute Prize (1963) and the amount of the award as well as the norms ruling the presentation of the artworks. Materials to be attached and deadlines are also [...]

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 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 [...]

Pablo Suarez’s letter is defined as a work of art. It is, at the same time, a quit of his participation in the exhibition, which he handed out to the attending public at the Experiencias 1968 [The 1968 Visual Practices]. The author starts by [...]

The text presented by Juan Pablo Renzi at the Primer Encuentro Nacional de Arte de Vanguardia [First National Encounter of Vanguard Art] is defined as an “attempt to bring about the grounds for the proposed agenda” and presents a framework for [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

This resource contains the discussion between the members of the jury for the Premio Nacional e Internacional Torcuato Di Tella [National and International Prize Torcuato Di Tella] 1962. After long deliberations, this jury—consisting of Giulio [...]

This is the act that announces both the invited artists and the amount of the Torcuato Di Tella Institute Prize in its 1962 edition. In addition, it states the rules governing the submission of works, the materials that should be included, and the [...]

The jurors designated to act on the Argentinean Painters Prize of the Torcuato Di Tella Institute, Jorge Romero-Brest and Lionello Venturi, unanimously decide to grant the prize to Mario Pucciarelli for his work De profundis [Out of the Depths of [...]

This review highlights the objectives as well as the main projects faced by the Torcuato Di Tella Foundation from its foundation in 1958 to 1960. The text points out that the main purpose of the foundation is to collaborate with both financial and [...]

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 [...]

Act by means of which the Di Tella Institute Prize is instituted. Yearly, it will be conferred to painters, sculptors, engravers-printers, ceramists, and other artists, to be decided. Likewise, in this document it is also established that the [...]

This is from the catalogue of the Nuevo Arte de la Argentina [New Art of Argentina] exhibition (Buenos Aires: Instituto Torcuato Di Tella, February 18 through March 8, 1964). The document explains that the goal of the exhibition was to present, in [...]

Eduardo Ruano’s leaflet denounces the “cultural machine,” identifies a number of recent acts of censorship at different official art institutions (the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, the Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires), and denounces the [...]

This article reports on Eduardo Ruano’s budding artistic career, which was interrupted by his violent political actions at the museum. It also shows that the authorities were mistaken in believing that Ruano’s work was actually the panel that had [...]

In this text, the artist questions the possibility of the avant-garde existing within the artistic institution; thus calling attention to the expansion of aesthetic matters into all aspects of social life. Jacoby’s words suggest one of the [...]

Rafael Alberti comments on León Ferrari’s work, on photographs he sent him regarding the Vietnam War. He transcribes his poem “Vietnam.” Ironic comments about León Ferrari’s political work’s possible exhibition at Instituto Torcuato Di [...]

León Ferrari writes to Leopoldo Maler about the London stage production of his book, Palabras ajenas [Other People’s Words].  He agrees to the new title of the English version, Listen Here Now, while proposing that it include the word “Vietnam [...]

León Ferrari writes to Leopoldo Maler about the London stage production of Palabras ajenas [Other People’s Words]. He discusses the polyphonic work involving the various texts in the book, and talks about the economic situation and the student [...]

León Ferrari discusses certain aspects of the press coverage of his book, Palabras ajenas [Other People’s Words]. He writes about the artistic milieu and the controversy stirred up by artists in response to the Torcuato Di Tella Institute’s [...]

León Ferrari notes that he has not produced any other works since the Torcuato Di Tella Institute’s 1965 National and International Prize. Ferrari explains that he has been busy working on his book, Palabras ajenas [Other People’s [...]

León Ferrari sketches his idea for the Christ mounted on a fighter jet for the piece he submitted to the Torcuato Di Tella Institute’s 1965 National and International Prize. This work would be known as Civilización Occidental y [...]

León Ferrari prepares a sketch to send to theTorcuato Di Tella Institute’s 1965 National and International Prize.  [...]

León Ferrari outlines his involvement in the Braque Drawing Prize and develops several sketches to be sent to the Torcuato Di Tella Institute’s 1965 National and International Prize [...]

Rafael Alberti discusses the controversy that erupted over León Ferrari’s exhibition at theTorcuato Di Tella Institute in response to critical reviews regarding the political nature of the works involved. The poet goes on to talk about Anticolo [...]

Rafael Alberti, the poet, mentions León Ferrari’s Vietnam War pieces, and savors the irony of a possible exhibition of those political works at the Torcuato Di Tella Institute. He tells Ferrari how an artist should react, at a political level, vis [...]

In this document, Kenneth Kemble writes about the project of the Fundación Torcuato Di Tella and the creation of an Art Center based on the idea that industrial progress must be accompanied by the development of culture. The collection was exhibited [...]

Kenneth Kemble writes that the Palanza Award was a disappointment because those who were invited to participate, the great majority of them, showed works of a lesser quality; also, he believes that a shift in the public’s aesthetic taste has taken [...]