: A landmark collaboration between El Museo del Barrio and The
Museum of Modern Art has resulted in the exhibition "MoMA at El
Museo: Latin American and Caribbean Art from the Collection of
The Museum of Modern Art" on view through July 25.
In 1935, The Museum of Modern Art became the first museum outside
of Latin America to collect modern works by artists from this
region. This compelling exhibition traces the history of MoMA's
acquisitions of Latin American and Caribbean art from the late
1930s to the present, featuring more than 150 seminal works drawn
from MoMA's departments of painting and sculpture, drawings and
prints and illustrated books.
El Museo Del Barrio is at 1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street. A
full range of educational and cultural programs will accompany
the exhibition, including a scholarly symposium, a video
marathon, music and dance performances and a street festival
celebration.
"'MoMA at El Museo' is designed to shed light on important Latin
American and Caribbean artists over a period of more than 50
years while providing an opportunity for the public to view
familiar and lesser known works from one of the greatest
collections of its kind," said Fatima Bercht, chief curator, El
Museo del Barrio. "As the foremost center for Latino arts and
culture, El Museo del Barrio provides an exceptional perspective
and context for MoMA's collection in this area."
The show is organized in four chronological sections reflecting
the history of MOMA's collecting. The first section of the
exhibition begins with major paintings and drawings acquired in
the 1930s by Jose Clemente Orozco (Mexico, 1883-1949); Diego
Rivera (Mexico, 1886-1957); and David Alfaro Siqueiros (Mexico,
1896-1974). These early acquisitions and gifts entered the
collection shortly after they were created and set a precedent
for MoMA as a collector of contemporary art.
The second section highlights works acquired after the creation
of MoMA's Inter-American Fund in 1942. This fund enabled the
museum during the 1940s to obtain an extensive range of works
reflecting both geographic and stylistic diversity, including
masterpieces by artists such as Frida Kahlo (Mexico, 1907-1954),
Wifredo Lam (Cuba, 1902-1982); Roberto Sebastian Matta (Chile,
1911-2002); Candido Portinari (Brazil, 1903-1962); Rufino Tamayo
(Mexico, 1899-1991); and Joaquin Torres-Garcia (Uruguay,
1874-1949.
The third section of the exhibition focuses on the 1960s, when
MoMA markedly increased its acquisitions from Argentina,
Colombia, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and other countries, with a
particular emphasis on drawings, print portfolios and artists'
books.
Important paintings and sculptures by major artists, including
Fernando Botero (Colombia, born 1932); Gego (Gertrude
Goldschmidt, Venezuela, born Germany 1912-1994); Julio Le Parc
(Argentina, born 1928); Marisol (Marisol Escobar, Venezuela, born
1930 in France); Rafael Montanez Ortiz (Puerto Rico, born 1934);
and Jesus Rafael Soto (Venezuela, born 1923), also entered the
collection at this time and are represented in the exhibition.
The fourth and final section of the exhibition presents MoMA's
most recent acquisitions. The contemporary works from this
section include a range of works in a variety of media by artists
such as Fernando Bryce (Peru, born 1965); Guillermo Kuitca
(Argentina, born 1961); Jose Leonilson (Brazil, 1953-1994); Cildo
Meireles (Brazil, born 1948); Vik Muniz (Brazil, born 1961);
Gabriel Orozco (Mexico, born 1962); and Doris Salcedo (Colombia,
born 1958).
A 185-page book with forewords by El Museo Director Julian
Zugazagoitia and MoMA Director Glenn D. Lowry, will accompany the
exhibition.
El Museo del Barrio is at 1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street.
Museum hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm;
Thursday, 11 am to 8 pm. For information, 212-831-7272.
