Uruguayan Artist Joaquín Torres García to be Remembered on the 150th Anniversary of His Birth

The Museum of Modern Art will host the talk "Resonances of the School of the South," featuring Tania Ragasol, Emilio Medeiros, and Carlos Segoviano.

This event is part of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the independence of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay.

Editorial Staff / CAMBIO 22

The Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico and the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature (INBAL), through the Museum of Modern Art (MAM), in collaboration with the Embassy of Uruguay in Mexico, present the talk "Resonances of the School of the South," on Wednesday, November 12, at 7:00 p.m. in the courtyard of the Museum of Modern Art.

The talk will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the independence of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay and the 150th anniversary of the birth of Uruguayan painter Joaquín Torres García, and will feature Tania Ragasol, Emilio Medeiros, and Carlos Segoviano.

The discussion will explore the influence of the Uruguayan painter, writer, and art theorist Joaquín Torres García (1874-1949), a driving force behind the Constructive Universalism school and the Torres García Workshop, one of the most important artistic movements in his country. It will also address his relationships with other Mexican artists during the 20th century.

Tania Ragasol, curator and art historian and graduate of the Universidad Iberoamericana, will present a biographical sketch of the artist and discuss his influence on Mexican and Latin American art through the School of the South. It will also explore the creative and geographical paths that shaped the life and work of this leading figure in modern art.

For his part, Emilio Medeiros, a Uruguayan visual artist, teacher, researcher, and cultural promoter trained at the Escuela del Sur (School of the South), will discuss his own creative process, as well as what he adopted and developed personally during his work in Mexico.

Carlos Segoviano, PhD in Art History from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), will address Torres García's artistic relationship with the Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros, a relationship that has been little known until now, and which led to the collaboration of other artists such as the Uruguayan poet Blanca Luz Brum (Siqueiros's partner) and the set designer Enrique Lázaro, who worked with the Mexican muralist.

“Joaquín Torres García is a necessary and fascinating bridge for discussing art and society, the Mexican muralist's relationships with Uruguayan artists during his time in Uruguay and Argentina, and the influence that Torres García exerted—and continues to exert—on the Mexican art scene,” said Carlos Segoviano, who will moderate the discussion.

He believes this talk will serve to reevaluate the work of Joaquín Torres García and also to strengthen diplomatic and cultural ties between Mexico and Uruguay, which will celebrate 125 years of relations next year. The Uruguayan diplomatic corps accredited in Mexico will be present at the discussion.

Source: INBAL