Page 46 - Studio International - December 1973

Projects series at the Museum of The Midland Group Gallery major part of its income is received museum in another South American
Modern Art he found that there was a Since its formation in 1943 the from the Arts Council of Great Britain country. A problem expressed here :
strike in force by the staff union Midland Group Gallery (then the and from the East Midlands Arts who's to pay for transportation ?
PASTA- MO MA. They were striking Midland Regional Artists & Association. Extra backing is Nevertheless, a reasonable enough
over better terms for a new contract, Designers Group) has occupied occasionally prised from industry, idea. The donation was made to
the last one having just expired. 5 galleries and organized around foreign embassies and commercial Allende's Chile, not to the Chilean
Flanagan, whose show was the only 400 exhibitions. concerns. The local authority has Armed Forces, and the CIA. The fact
ongoing event at that time, decided It was founded by the painter consistently refused appeals for that her father is recovering his health
after a couple of weeks to support the Evelyn Gibbs —then a lecturer at assistance, although it is hoped that in Mexico didn't help her to come to
strike action by postponing his Goldsmiths, which was evacuated to the situation will become more any conclusion as to which South
exhibition. Nottingham during the war. At a time favourable with local government American country the works might be
of austerity, rationing and general reorganization next year. moved to .... I was left wondering.
Pontus Halter, until recently the greyness, Evelyn Gibbs' reaction was A birthday celebrates the past but She assured me of one thing : that the
director of the Moderna Museet in to issue a public invitation to more importantly looks to the future. art remains unharmed in the
Stockholm, is now director of the professional artists and designers in The Midland Group Gallery's most University of Santiago and that each
Mused Nationale d'art Moderne and the area to meet and talk. immediate plans are for moving to artist concerned would be contacted
the Centre National Art Contemporain The first major exhibition — larger and more flexible premises. and consulted before any move was
(CNAC) in Paris. He will become 'Art for All' showed a collection of We don't like the term 'arts centre' made to retrieve it. (Presumably the
director of the Centre Beaubourg (The paintings, sculpture. pottery and but we do need a place, in the City thought is that some artists wouldn't
Pompidou Museum) in 1975. textiles presented in a large furniture centre, big enough for painting, mind donating work to a military
store in the centre of Nottingham. sculpture, crafts, photography and government.)
The Welfare State will be This was the first experience of experimental work to be seen at the Pedroza still has, in spite of his
performing The Runway is Complete modern art for hundreds of people same time. A welcoming place that is illness, the whip hand. Many of the
in the Lecture Theatre of the Royal and it caused a furore—letters in the there to provide a service to artists works, notably the Japanese
College of Art on 6 December at press, objections, protests. But in 6 and public alike. There may not be contributions, were donated to him
8 pm. weeks, 6000 people visited it. war, rationing or austerity as 30 years personally, and as such, remain his
The ideas established in this first ago but there is probably an even property.
David Medalla has not, as was exhibition provided the basis for greater need for the arts at the Carmen Waugh at the Madrid
erroneously reported last month, had all ensuing policies. The Gallery present time. Latin-American Galeria Aele, was in
his Grande Vibration Noire et Bleue by sees its role as two-fold, with Sylvia Cooper some way connected with the Chilean
Soto returned to him from Sotheby's responsibilities towards both the Director project, was in Chile at the time of the
the auctioneers. public and the artist. For the public it coup and was forthcoming with facts.
brings to the region the more She was surprised that Roland
Caroline Tisdall is organizing a important and relevant aspects of the Penrose, the British representative of
show of 300 drawings by Joseph visual arts, whether by internationally Museum of the responsible committee, hadn't
Beuys at the Museum of Modern Art, known artists or by local students. It is been contacted by Pedroza. (Perhaps
Oxford, in April, 1974. The drawings continually exploring ways in which he has.)
have been done over the last 25 years the number of 'art consumers' can solidarity, Pedroza's recent letter to the
but Beuys considers them to form one be increased — by taking work out of Madrid art critic José Maria Moreno
irreducible piece. the 'rarified' atmosphere of a gallery, Galván, which she produced for my
Compiled by Paul Martin into the streets, schools and Chile further enlightenment, confirms that
factories. For the artist the Gallery an attempt is to be made to remove
Charles Spencer has become one will offer facilities of time and space. 'It would not have been difficult to the works from Chile and to house
of the three selectors for Long Ines One of the unique features of the suppose', writes Alistair Reid of the them in a Mexican museum.
Symphonette Art Society, an MGG is its membership—it has Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (The Any country which gives a home to
American mass-circulation Print Culb been called 'an artists' co-operative'. Listener, 4 Oct.), 'had one not known the Chilean donation now, is
operated by a subsidiary of the The membership is a practising, of (his) failing health over the past committing itself to the support of the
Westinghouse Corp. Mr Spencer's professional one, living and working two years, that he died of grief and ideals of the Allende government.
appointment as Consultant to the in many parts of the country. There despair — or worse — over the recent Mexico is willing to do this. (Galván's
Editions Alecto Collectors Club has has never been a 'group style' — fate of Chile and of his long-time opinion is that the final resting place
therefore been terminated. rather as the type of member — and of friend Allende'. of the collection may well be Italy
exhibitions generally — reflected the Salvador Allende, the Chilean where a committee for the aid of the
PASTA/MOMA continue on strike changes in the general art scene. President, was murdered in the crude oppressed Chilean people is already
(November 26) and no immediate The membership provides a military coup in the first weeks of more than active.)
settlement seems likely. The Marcel 'power-house' of original ideas, for September; Neruda's works have A translation of Pedroza's letter to
Duchamp retrospective which was to which the Gallery is known —the first been burnt by troops in the streets, Galván in Madrid, dated 25 October
have opened in December has been 'pop-art' exhibition, the first his house sacked. It is a matter of tells all that is to be told at the
postponed. Anyone interested should 'concrete poetry' exhibition, the first some concern and much conjecture moment :
write to Richard Oldenburg, MOMA, lending library of original paintings. how the military junta will deal with,
21 W 53, NY 10019 and send a The range of exhibitions has if it hasn't already dealt with, that Dear Friend,
duplicate to PASTA/MO MA, Gorham always been wide — as well as donation of works from foreign As you know, President Allende's
Hotel, Room 1302,136W 55, NY painting and sculpture — ceramics, artists acquired by Mario Pedroza in Government, the legally established
10019. glass, film, experimental work, and collaboration with an international power, came to a tragic end, being
recently Midland Group Photography committee, for the Allende usurped by a military coup d'état.
(See article 'Strike I MO MA under was launched. government's new museum of modern Therefore our cherished plans of
pressure', p. 218 et seq. Exhibitions during the past 30 art in Santiago, which was due to be forming the 'Museum of Solidarity
years have included all the major inaugurated on the 20th of this with the Chilean People', in the true
Some Japanese businessmen and national names and many month (Nov.). The British donation, socialist spirit, have been dashed to
the Marlborough Gallery have formed international ones— Minton, including works by Denny and others, the ground. I have found asylum in
Marlborough-Torii which it is hoped Vaughan, Piper, Moore, Soto, Riley, was on show at the ICA this summer, Mexico, from where, with your help
will control half the Japanese market leWitt, Smithson, Brancusi, Warhol, concurrently with Peter Cook's and that of the other members of the
for Western art. Japanese private Dibbetts, Dekkers, Cruz Diez. Carnaby Cavern. 'International Committee for Artistic
investment is moving away from real Major exhibitions have been Pedroza's daughter, the cultural Solidarity with Chile', I hope to
estate and the stock market and into regularly toured to other parts of the attaché at the Brazilian Embassy in realize this idea of forming the
art objects. country, including the Gallery's Madrid, tells me that her father is at Museum, this time outside Chile.
foreign shows from Latin America, present in rather a poor state of health For this to come about, it is
Peter Selz has resigned as Director Holland and Venezuela. Negotiations in Mexico, unable to work or travel. fundamental in the first place to
of the University Art Museum, are in hand for a Japanese Allowed to slip through the recover all the works given by artists
Berkeley, effective January 1. He will Exhibition for 1975. conventional veil of diplomatic hush- from all over the world. These works,
continue to teach in the Department of Lack of finance has always been the hush was the fact that her father's paintings, drawings and prints are
History of Art, full-time. Gallery's most serious problem. The plan is to remove the collection to a left in three places in Chile : in the

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