If you don’t know much about Latin American photography from the last 50 years and feel that’s a situation you’d like to correct, may we direct you to the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris, where you will find the fascinating América Latina 1960-2013. Produced in partnership with the Museo Amparo in Puebla, Mexico, the exhibition curators have paid particular attention to the link between text and imagery, gathering works by more than 70 artists from 11 countries.
Beginning in the year following the Cuban Revolution, the exhibition has a rich vein to mine; there’s always something happening in this turbulent region, and when it does, there are no shortage of talented documentary photographers there to record it. Battled scarred by what seems like constant political unrest and military action, Latin America is a complex and ever-shifting place which is better understood through the work of these artists. It’s not all doom and gloom though, and as well as the heavy socio-political commentary, there’s a definite sense of humour in evidence too. There’s time for several trips to this massive show – it runs until 6 April.
Ever Astudillo,
sans titre, Latin Fire series, 1975-78
Black and white photograph,
8.3 x 11.4 cm
© Ever Astudillo
Private collection,
courtesy Toluca Fine Art, Paris
Leonora Vicuña,
El Mundo, calle San Diego,
Santiago de Chile, 1981
© Leonora Vicuña
Collection Fondation Cartier pour
l’art contemporain, Paris
Marcelo Montecino,
Managua, 1979
© Marcelo Montecino
Private collection,
courtesy Toluca, Paris
Paolo Gasparini (Venezuela, born 1934)
El habitat de les hombres…,
Caracas, Bello Monte, 1968
© Paolo Gasparini
Adriana Lestido,
Sin título, Mujeres Presas Series, 1991-93
Black and white photograph,
16.2 x 24.4 cm
© Adriana Lestido
Collection of the Fondation Cartier pour
l’art contemporain, Paris
Miguel Calderón,
untitled (Rings), 2006
Inkjet print, 97 x 130 cm
Courtesy of the artist
and kurimanzutto, Mexico City
© Miguel Calderón
Anna Bella Geiger
Série História do Brasil – Little Boys & Girls 1975
Cartes postales montées sur tirage gélation-argentique
Collection de l’artiste,
courtesy Henrique Faria Fine Art, New York.
Copyright de l’artiste, 1975
Exhibition América Latina 1960-2013,
Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris,
November 19, 2013 › April 6, 2014
