Antonio Berni (1905 – 1981) born in Rosario (Argentina) as a son of Italian immigrants, was one of the greatest Argentinean visual and figurative artists. Berni’s artistic life was associated with Nuevo Realismo, always revolved around of Argentina’s working class, and his art was also described as Latin American version of social realism.
Antonio Berni’s one of art installations admired by the visitors to MALBA exhibition, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In his collages and paintings he created fictious characters of Juanito Laguna (a poor boy who was born and lived in big city “villa miseria“) and Ramona Montiel (a prostitute). They were two artistic media to convey an image and the results of fast Argentina’s industrialisation and show the pace and effects of modern development in Buenos Aires.
His works with Juanito and Ramona were displayed in many galleries and museums around the World.
Antonio Berni’s final product of flattened 3D art that he came up with after filling the carved form in with plastic material (picture below), MALBA exhibition, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Antonio Berni’s matrix as a starting point for the final product shown in the picture above, MALBA exhibition, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In the 1920s he was awarded a scholarship to study in Spain and France where he met both Spanish, French, and other European artists. Berni received next grant to continue his artistic study from the province of Santa Fe. He returned to Paris to explore new artistic ideas of surrealism.
After coming back to Argentina, he continued his works influenced by social injustice after witnessing how Argentina’s political and social status was different from France where he was studying art.
Antonio Berni’s vision of Ramona Montiel, MALBA exhibition, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In the course of his artistic life he studied pre-Columbian art in a few countries in South America and his “Mercado Idigena” was created based on photography he took in one of those countries. Berni also took interest in murals after collaborating and interacting with Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros and other muralists although he didn’t believe that painting murals can be a way to inspire and convey a message of social change.
Result of A. Berni’s interests in indigenous culture he studied in a few Latin American countries, MALBA exhibition, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The bottom floor of MALBA has a collection of Berni’s artwork from the 1970’s where the artist changed a bit his approach to Juanito when showing his life evolve as time went by. He was then showing Juanito surrounded by different things necessary in everyday life but still leaves no doubt about the origin of this boy coming from big city shantytown.
Antonio Berni’s art installation from 1970’s, MALBA exhibition, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
At the end of his life, Berni relocated to New York where he found spiritually artistic void after experiencing another culture influenced much by consumerism and abundance of material wealth.
His works from that period were marked with special kind of irony reflecting the way he felt when living in New York.
View of the exhibition with the painting of Diego Rivera (“Retrato de Ramon Gomez”, 1915) to the left and Tarsila do Amaral artwork (“Abaporu”, 1928) to the right, MALBA exhibition, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The permanent exhibition of MALBA is dedicated to Latin American art of the 20th century. It has a unique and the most characteristic collection of art pieces of the region from Mexico and the Caribbean down to Argentina in its diversified forms (painting, collage, photography, sculpture, art installations, etc.). The exhibition is displayed by decades showing the most representative art and its creators from the most characteristic examples.
Painting titled “Pareja” (1923) by Alejandro Xul Solar, MALBA exhibition, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The years 1910-20 are represented by Diego Rivera, Alejandro Xul Solar, Tarsila do Amaral, and Rafael Barrados.
Left side of the picture, “El guitarrista”, (1924) by Pablo Curatella Manes, MALBA exhibition, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The years 1920-30 (Modernism/Avant-Garde) show the artwork of Emiliano di Cavalcanti, Emilio Pettoruti, Pablo Curatella Manes, and Joaquin Torres Garcia.
Antonio Berni’s “Manifestacion” (1934), MALBA exhibition, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The years 1930-40 (Art and Politics, Modern Photography) represent Horacio Coppola, Candido Portinari, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Antonio Berni. Surrealism is represented by works of Frida Kahlo, Roberto Matta, Wilfredo Lam, and Juan Battie Planas.
Frida Kahlo, “Autoportreto con chongo y loro” (1942), MALBA exhibition, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
A corner with pieces of art from Neorealism and Realism era with Rhod Rothfuss “3 circulos rojos” at the back wall (1948), MALBA exhibition, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The years of (Realism/Neorealism) 1940-60 show the works of Rhod Rothfuss, Grete Stern, Ennio Iommi, Helio Oiticica,, Julio Le Parc, and Juan Mele.
Antonio Berni’s “La gran tentacion” (1962), MALBA exhibition, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The years of Informalism, Pop-Art, Minimalism, and Coceptual Art (1960-70) represent works of Antonio Berni, Fernando Botero, Antonio Dias, Nelson Reiner, and Jorge de la Vega.
Guillermo Kuitca’s “Siete ultimas canciones” (1986), MALBA exhibition, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The years of Conceptualism and Hipperrealism (1970-90) are represented by Guillermo Kuitca, Victor Grippo, and Jose Bedia.
Contemporary art arrangement with bubbled wall, a place to experiment with see-through photography by the visitors, MALBA exhibition, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
One of modern art installations, MALBA exhibition, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
