Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Art
Eduardo Sívori (1847-1918) was one of Argentina's first notable artists and well-known
realist painters. He created landscapes and portraits and helped found one of Argentina's
first artist guilds. Other early artists included Cándido López (1840-1902) - a soldier who
learned to paint with his left hand after losing his right arm in war - and Ernesto de la Cár-
cova, who depicted social issues such as poverty.
Lino Enea Spilimbergo (1896-1964) was a diverse painter and engraver whose subjects
ranged from classical to postimpressionism to stark and surreal human figures. His contem-
porary, Antonio Berni (1905-81), would sometimes visit shantytowns and collect materials
to use in his works. Various versions of his theme
Juanito Laguna bañándose
(Juanito La-
guna Bathing) - a protest against social and economic inequality - have commanded
wallet-busting prices at auctions. You can see both artists' work in the restored ceiling mur-
als of the Galerías Pacífico shopping center (
Click here
).
Other famous Argentine artists of this era are Juan Carlos Castagnino, a realist and figur-
ative painter; Jorge de la Vega, who dabbled not only in various styles of visual art but also
became a popular singer and songwriter; and Emilio Pettoruti, who affronted Buenos Aires
with his 1924 cubist exhibition. Roberto Aizenberg was well known as one of Argentina's
top surrealists.
One of the more interesting contemporary artists is Roberto Jacoby (b 1944), who has
been active in diverse fields since the 1960s, from organizing socially flavored multimedia
shows to setting up audiovisual installations. His most famous work,
Darkroom
, is a video
performance piece with infrared technology meant for a single spectator.
Guillermo Kuitca (b 1961) is known for his imaginative techniques that include the use
of digital technology to alter photographs, maps and other images and integrate them into
larger-themed works. His work is on display at major international collections and he's had
solo and group shows at key art expos around the world.
Other internationally recognized artists who experiment with various media are Buenos
Aires-born, New York-based Liliana Porter, who imaginatively plays with video, paint-
ings, 3D prints, photos and an eclectic collection of knickknacks; Graciela Sacco, whose
politically and socially engaging installations often use public space as their setting; and
the photographer Arturo Aguiar, known for playing with light and shadow in his mysteri-
ous works. Also watch out for highly eclectic Argentine pop artist Marta Minujín, who has
added fire to the Marshall McLuhan quote 'Art is anything you can get away with'.
Buenos Aires has also seen a rise in urban art interventions, a movement of diverse act-
ivist artists whose work calls attention to social and urban issues in the city's public spaces.
