Page 15 - Studio International - September 1972

Bienal Coltejer occasion the US, the UK, and Spain. The most scattered over the floor. In the third, a figure
exceptional US work, Flame Orchard, was by a with his back to us reads an illustrated newspaper
in Colombia team from MIT's Center for Advanced Visual report describing the event, while several
Studies led by Gyorgy Kepes, and it was panthers relax in the sunshine. The exhibition
acquired for the new museum. It consists of a was full of works making political references :
long rectangular box covered in aluminium a rather obvious photographic reportage
sheeting. At the top are holes for gas jets. Loud centring on the crucifixion, interpretations of
speakers, placed inside gas tanks in the box, police brutality, riots, sculptures entitled
vibrate the gas. As music is played so do the gas Tupamaros, and so on. In every country these
flames dance. The music was specially problems are given a slightly different
composed and is a mixture of electronic sounds expression, but whereas the American Duane
A year ago I I British artists were invited by and church organ music, with a strong jazz Hansen's Policeman and Rioter was somehow
Leonel Estrada to send works to the third rhythm. Another work also from MIT was by irrelevant, many works from the Argentine
Bienal Coltejer, Colombia, at the expense of the Mauricio Bueno, Colombian architect and and Uruguay could not have been shown in
organizers : Peter Blake, R. B. Kitaj, Joe Tilson, artist, who created a construction with 49 those countries, which in the context made
Eduardo Paolozzi, Patrick Caulfield, Bridget transparent plastic tubes filled with them the more vivid.
Riley, Victor Pasmore, Graham Sutherland, anti-freeze. The narrow tubes, suspended from These and other problems were aired in
Mark Boyle, Alan Davie, Michael Andrews and the ceiling, were attached at the bottom to a discussions by some thirty participating artists
Patrick Procktor. Only the last three sent works. motor like those used to aerate aquaria; thus invited to Medellin. The discussions were
A pity, because this is one of the most remarkable bubbles were pressurized into the tubes and taken very seriously and most topics came back
bienals in the world. travelled upwards to burst at the top. This is all to one major issue: What can artists do that
Sponsored by Coltejer, largest textile concern that happens, but the effect is magical. The will be relevant to art, to their situation and to
in Colombia (a country known for its museums, bubbles travel at different speeds, and can be their countries ? What is relevant to New York
pre-Columbian sites, orchids, emeralds, coffee, synchronized or syncopated according to motor is not necessarily relevant to Rio. Universal
oil and fantastic landscape), the Bienal takes adjustment. (Anti-freeze is used because its art needs no mention, but 'relevance' is a
place in Medellin, Colombia's second city and evaporation rate is very much lower than that of problem that besets Latin American artists
industrial centre, situated in the Andes some water.) far more than those in Europe or the US. The
1500 metres above sea-level and gifted with a Other acquisitions were more typically Latin artists experience a profound cultural isolation,
tropical landscape and the atmosphere of a American : a hanging tapestry by the Colombian and an artist working in an experimental
seaside resort. The exhibition was housed in the Olga Amaral; a self-explicating painting about manner in say, Buenos Aires, may feel that his
new skyscraper headquarters of Coltejer, and the joy of life by the Venezuelan Murry work is misunderstood there, though he might
its importance only became obvious when the Tamers; and a political, satirical and naive find like minds in Paris. It is no accident that
doors were thrown open: the entire population triptych by Fernando Grillon of Paraguay, so many Latin American artists, not to mention
passed through the exhibition during the first Moneylenders Devoured by Black Panthers. The writers, actors and dancers, live in Europe;
week. No other bienal presents works to the first painting of this triptych shows a banquet those that stay behind are obsessed by the
public at large in quite the same way. Not only where a bejewelled company makes polite dilemma of how to bridge the gap of six
is the exhibition free : visitors are also given a conversation round a table piled with heaps of centuries of culture which divides their own
small book, 'What is art ?', written for the coins, while through a half-opened door a black countries, still primitive despite enormous
occasion by the Argentinian critic Jorge panther peers. In the second, six panthers technological advance, from those of Europe. q
Romero Brest, and a pamphlet giving devour the elegant gathering, and diamonds are JASIA REICHARDT
definitions of art terms. In a city where cultural
life is scarce and nature competes formidably
with all man-made artifacts the Bienal is Arnoldo Ramirez Amaya, Political crime, sculpture-painting
nothing less than a festival.
The organizers, taking note of the climate of
opinion and student protests, abandoned the
prize system; instead, the jury recommended
purchase of works to form the nucleus of a new
art museum which is about to be built. The
Bienal attracts considerable industrial
patronage, and following Coltejer's lead about a
third of the works shown (approximately 16o
artists show between one and four works each)
are bought by factories, businesses and private
individuals. Both artists and organizers made an
effort to keep prices reasonable, since Colombia
is far from being a sophisticated art market.
Originally three acquisitions were to be bought
for US $10,000, $5000 and $2500. The jury—
Gillo Dorfles, Brian O'Doherty and myself—
suggested that the money be split into six equal
parts of US $300o and that a further 14
recommendations for purchase be negotiated on
an equal basis.
Most artists represented came from Latin
America. At each Bienal, however, other
countries are specifically invited—on this
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