Documents of Latin American and Latino Art

Horacio Safons reports on Antonio Berni’s exhibition at the Centro de Artes Visuales (Buenos Aires, 1965) at the Instituto Torcuato Di Tella, principally analyzing his Ramona Montiel series from a formal perspective and with regard to the nature of [...]

French poet Louis Aragon begins this text by establishing a comparison between the wood of the quebracho tree and the peasants; he describes their physical characteristics and their living conditions. Aragon points out Berni’s early relation to [...]

Antonio Berni writes about the resilience of fascist attitudes and their attacks on the culture of Humanism. He sounds a cautionary note concerning the political history of Nazism, Falangism, and fascism, reminding his readers that these movements [...]

This document contains a description of the attendees at the opening of Antonio Berni’s show at the Galería Imagen (Buenos Aires, 1972) and an interview with the artist about the Latin American art scene. In his answers, Berni criticizes [...]

In this essay, Antonio Berni writes about mural painting in Argentina. He bemoans the fact that it has not fulfilled its potential in spite of the skill of local artists, and refers to the muralist’s dependence on assigned spaces and the limits on [...]

This text provides information regarding the measures imposed upon Brazilian culture after the state coup of 1964. It particularly refers to the actions derived from the Institutional Act No. 5, dated December 13, 1968. Once the Parliament was [...]

A drawing that circulated as a cover for the dossier which included several documents produced in connection with the support and organization of the Tenth São Paulo Biennial boycott. In this drawing the Latin American territory is firmly held [...]

This article critiques the choices of the II Certamen Nacional de Investigaciones Visuales [Second National Visual Arts Research Competition] (Buenos Aires, Argentina 1971). It details the irregularities regarding the dissemination of the jury’s [...]

Within the context of the historic reparation received by Gabriela Bocchi—who created Celda [Cell] in tandem with Jorge de Santa María (deceased)—and by Hugo Pereyra—who in turn conceived Made in Argentina with Ignacio Colombres (deceased)— [...]

Hans Haacke’s letter shows that he pondered the invitation sent by Gyorgy Kepes and decided not to represent the United States abroad for a pair of reasons: because Americans were supporting an immoral war in Vietnam and a fascist government was [...]

Daniel Gutman points out that the Argentine Government apologizes to the artists censored in the II Certamen Nacional de Investigaciones Visuales[Second National Competition of Visual Research] and, although it will not return the amount of the [...]

This article points out that the Contrasalón [Counter-Salon] of 1972, held on the premises of the Sociedad Argentina de Artistas Plásticos[Argentine Society of Visual Artists], contains over two hundred fifty works of art; among them, one may find [...]

This article reports that the Mexican artists Alberto Gironella and Rufino Tamayo decided to support the position adopted by David Alfaro Siqueiros, as regards his decision not to attend the São Paulo Biennial, in a show of repudiation to the regime [...]

The text by Julio Le Parc takes as its starting point the need to overcome individualistic ideas in order to be able to suggest future expansions. Thus, he introduces the idea with a series of questions, which, at first, refer to the general [...]

“El infinito de la obra” by Francisco Brugnoli is the introductory essay in the catalogue for the exhibition Centenario Carlos Hermosilla, 1905–2005, which acknowledged the centenary of the birth of the famous printmaker from [...]

Julio Le Parc presents a brief explanation about a situation in which he was not permitted to include a pamphlet with his works in the Denise René L’intrépide exhibition. Due to this situation, which he considered to be censorship, Le Parc [...]

This article chronicles the verdict handed down by the Supreme Court, which denied the lawsuit filed by Ignacio Colombes and Hugo Pereyra, the creators of the work of art that was awarded the Grand Runner-Up Prize at the II Certamen de [...]

This article reports on the 1973 verdict that denied the suit filed by the creators of Made in Argentina (Ignacio Colombes and Hugo Pereyra). The verdict stated that the government was under no obligation as regards the findings of the contest jury, [...]

This article includes the Grupo Manifiesto [Manifesto Group] statement condemning the 1972 Salón Nacional in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the grounds that it was being used by the people in power to further their own political agenda. Meanwhile, just [...]

This article explains that the Sociedad Argentina de Artistas Plásticos [Argentine Society of Visual Artists] called a meeting at which they decided not to participate in the National Salon (Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1971). Instead, they agreed to [...]

This article explains that, eight days after the opening of the II Certamen de Investigaciones Visuales [2nd Visual Research Contest] in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1971, the public was informed about Decree 5696, which partially acknowledged the [...]

This article describes how, on December 7, 1971, the Sociedad Argentina de Artistas Plásticos [Argentine Society of Visual Artists] issued a statement to vigorously protest the situation provoked by the Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes, the [...]

This article reviews the alternative opening of the II Certamen Nacional de InvestigacionesVisuales [2nd National Visual Research Contest] in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1971, which took place after the scheduled date and did not include the censored [...]

This article explains that the Argentine Association of Art Critics, whose president at the time was Basilio Uribe, circulated a statement disagreeing with the decision taken by the Ministry of Culture regarding the II Certamen Nacional de [...]

This article explains that the Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes [National Academy of Fine Arts] issued a statement in which it acknowledged that artists should be free to create works of art, but cautioned that when works of art are used for [...]

While the law governing the theater was under official consideration, the Argentine Actor’s Association expressed its concern regarding the confusion and uneasiness that was caused when the Certamen de Investigaciones Visuales [Visual Research [...]

The article points out that the artists invited by the Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes (Argentina) to the Primer Premio de Grabado “Facio Hebecquer” [First “Facio Hebecquer” Prize for Engraving] (1971) communicated their refusal to submit [...]

The Sociedad Argentina de Artistas Plásticos reports that the II Certamen Nacional de Investigaciones Visuales [Second National Visual Arts Research Competition] was not held in accordance with the Reglamento [Regulations] on November 12, 1971. The [...]

The text praises the exhibition organized by Francisco Llobet at Amigos del Arte [Friends of Art] with works by Jean-Louis Forain lend from Argentinean collections. Forain’s works are considered as real art, in comparison with those previously [...]

León Ferrari'’s (1920–2013) letter responds to the concepts expressed by Ernesto Ramallo in the article "Los artistas argentinos en el Premio Di Tella 1965" [The Argentinean artists in the 1965 Di Tella Institute Prize] published in La Prensa [...]

Juan Grela speaks about painting in the city of Rosario at his lecture, beginning with the Mutualidad [Society]. He refers to his respect for the university and his long-standing relationship with Amigos del Arte [Friends of Art]. The author tells [...]

Following an exhibition by Uruguayan painter Pedro Figari, Alfredo Chiabra-Acosta reviews the character of his pictorial production and considerations made about it by art criticism. Regarding the latter, he ponders that in view of such praise—“ [...]

In this pamphlet, written in 1935, the Agrupación de Intelectuales, Artistas, Periodistas y Escritores (A.I.A.P.E) [Association of Intellectuals, Artists, Journalists, and Writers] in Rosario, Argentina, urged the Latin American intellectual [...]

Carlos Moog writes a theoretical essay on the relationship between aesthetics and politics in Latin America. The author believes that art is a political weapon. He studies the relation between Marxism and art, including the differences in social [...]

The critic wrote on the recovery of different figurative approaches, with a predominance of Expressionist tendencies; operating in dialectical synthesis was a combination of realistic and abstract elements. González Tuñón associated the pintores [...]

In the Declaration that accompanied the Tucumán Arde [Tucumán is Burning] exhibition, the artists denounce “the hidden truth behind this Operation”: the attempt to destroy the unions and guilds of the northeastern part of Argentina through the [...]

This prescient op-ed takes the events at the 1968 Braque Prize (sponsored by the French embassy in Argentina) as a starting point and uses them to arrive at the conclusion that the finest artwork was the “uproar” that occurred due to the [...]

The incidents that took place at the 1968 Braque Prize competition (sponsored by the French embassy in Argentina) raise with great force a series of questions that would have direct consequences for the subsequent declarations of the vanguard [...]

Jorge Glusberg’s open letter clarifies that, when Francisco Matarazzo invited him to organize “Arte como Idea [Art as an Idea” and “Arte Cibernético [Cybernetic Art]” at the Eleventh São Paulo Biennial (1971), he had some initial doubts [...]

After discussing the origins of the São Paulo Biennial and the earliest incidents of censorship imposed by Brazilian authorities on artists who submitted their work to the Paris Biennale, Matta points out that an injustice had occurred in [...]

Luis Wells’ response to a summons to side against the 1971 São Paulo Biennial. Upon responding, Wells makes a play on the words “bienal” [biennial] and “via anal” [anally, through the anus] including the drawing of a suppository [...]

Edgardo Antonio Vigo’s response to the summons to side against the 1971 São Paulo Biennial. This artist explains that—upon being invited to the event—he had already agreed to participate. The subsequent resignation of the Argentinean selection [...]

Horacio Safons’s response to the summons to side against the 1971 São Paulo Biennial. In his answer, Safons uses self-criticism, saying that to carry out a contra-biennial is to force himself to fight in his adversary’s field. Likewise, he [...]

Response made by Juan Carlos Romero to the summons to side against the 1971 São Paulo Biennial. In order to illustrate his view, Romero cuts out news pieces from the local papers, referring to kidnappings and torture, then centering on the matter of [...]

Liliana Porter’s response to the summons to side against the 1971 São Paulo Biennial. In her response, she states that the artist always assumes a position. Thus, participating in this counter-biennial is a way of being aware of the positioning as [...]

César Paternosto’s response against the 1971 São Paulo Biennial. His emphatic response stresses: “…Simply NO to the Biennial [...]

Abraham Haber responds to the summons to carry out a counter-biennial with his contribution, in spite of making it clear that he has received an invitation intended for the artists. He is however a professor of art history and a member of the [...]

León Ferrari’s response to the summons to side against the 1971 São Paulo Biennial. This artist responds by mentioning the fact that, if invited, he would have refused to take part in the Brazilian biennial, for this event is a piece of the [...]

Fermín Fèvre’s response to the summons to side against the 1971 São Paulo Biennial. The art critic’s response states that the Brazilian biennial is already a corpse and therefore should not be feared [...]

Américo Castilla’s response to the summons to side against the 1971 São Paulo Biennial. He does it through an image that centralizes the silhouette of the Brazilian territory, in which a face melts with several vertical lines in reference to jail [...]