Jesús Soto Museum of Modern Art
Encyclopedia
The Jesús Soto Museum of Modern Art (Museo de Arte Moderno Jesús Soto) is a modern art museum in Ciudad Bolívar
, Venezuela. It is named after the kinetic artist and sculptor Jesús Soto, who was born in Ciudad Bolívar. As well as showcasing a number of Soto's works, the museum includes art by international artists, particularly pieces with movement and dynamics. The architect was Carlos Raúl Villanueva
.
The Jesús Soto Museum of Modern Art, founded by a decree of the Government of Bolívar State on October 27, 1969, and inaugurated on August 25, 1973, represents the fulfilment of an idea brought forward by Jesús Soto at the end of the 1950s. This idea crystallized several years later when Soto, along with a group of personalities from Ciudad Bolívar
´s cultural milieu, submitted a project before the state executive authorities. The primary objective was both to safeguard and to exhibit the collection, comprising works of art of renowned international contemporary artists, gathered under Jesús Soto´s criteria and care during the several decades he lived in Paris
. Soto's creations lie within the kinetic branch of Constructivism
, which primarily seeks to give the impression or illusion of movement as perceived by the spectator, depending on the position before the art piece. One of Soto's greatest artistic achievements, within his vast and renowned career, are the penetrable spaces, works in which the public integrate spatially to the artistic production.
The selection of the works of art reflect the spirit of the most representative moments of modern art. The museum has been able to conform a collection of great plastic and historical value, including works from each significant period of Soto's career. This collection, which has grown through time, constitutes the artistic patrimony of the museum. Characterized by an interesting variety of approaches with a rigorous unity, the collection comprises works of artists that are representative of historical vanguards: Jean Arp
, Johannes Itten
, Kasimir Malevitch, Natalia Gontcharova, Serge Poliakoff
, Josef Albers
, Sonia Delaunay
, Pavel Mansouriff, Henryk Berlewi
, Jean Gorin, Alberto Magnelli
, Man Ray
, and Andy Warhol
. Also represented are some artists who, since 1945, formulated new approaches, although conceptually linked to vanguardism of the beginning of the 20th century, these artists are: Max Bill
, Lucio Fontana
, Carmelo Arden Quin
, Berto Lardera
, Emile Giglioli, Antonio Calderara, Vjenceslaw Ritcher, and George Rickey
. In this group we may find some renown Venezuelan artists such as: Marcel Floris, Gerd Leufert, Alejandro Otero
, and Francisco Narváez
. Closely linked to the optic and kinetic proposals are: Francisco Salazar, Francois Morellet
, Marcelo Morandini, Luis Tomasello, Carlos Cruz-Diez
, Getulio Alviani
(who has been director of the museum for a few years) and Victor Vasarely
,. Artists of the New Realism Movement, included in the Collection are: Christo, Jean Tinguely
, Raymond Hains
, Yves Klein
, Arman
, and Daniel Spoerri
. Other renown artists among the Museum's collection are: Bernard Aubertin, it:Gianni Colombo, Gothard Graubner, Adolf Luther, Heinz Mack
, Christian Merget and Paul Talman.
, architect of both the Museum of Fine Arts of Caracas, and the Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas
, among other buildings donated the museum project to Ciudad Bolívar
, From an architectural standpoint, he conceived it so it would be closely associated to the artistic approach of the collection. The edifice was built in two stages, the first stage emphasizes the value of touring the museum, visually integrating both roofed and open spaces. The exhibition galleries, arranged around a garden of sculptures, are connected by corridors, thus creating different spaces for the spectator. Defined in accordance with the distribution of the works of art, galleries, 1, 2, 3, and 4 house the works of art of Venezuelan and foreign artists represented in the collection. In galleries 5, 6, and 7 (The Cube) the artistic career of Jesús Soto is shown. The second stage, which has preserved Villanueva's design in a balanced manner consists of the entrance hall, the library, the exhibitions hall, administrative offices, and service areas.
Ciudad Bolívar
Ciudad Bolívar is the capital of Venezuela's southeastern Bolivar State. It was founded with the name Angostura in 1764, renamed in 1846, and, as of 2010, had an estimated population of 350,691....
, Venezuela. It is named after the kinetic artist and sculptor Jesús Soto, who was born in Ciudad Bolívar. As well as showcasing a number of Soto's works, the museum includes art by international artists, particularly pieces with movement and dynamics. The architect was Carlos Raúl Villanueva
Carlos Raúl Villanueva
Carlos Raúl Villanueva was the most prominent Venezuelan architect of the 20th century and one of the great Modernists. He played a major role in the development and modernization of Caracas, Maracay and other cities across the country...
.
Origin of the museum
Ciudad Bolívar
Ciudad Bolívar is the capital of Venezuela's southeastern Bolivar State. It was founded with the name Angostura in 1764, renamed in 1846, and, as of 2010, had an estimated population of 350,691....
´s cultural milieu, submitted a project before the state executive authorities. The primary objective was both to safeguard and to exhibit the collection, comprising works of art of renowned international contemporary artists, gathered under Jesús Soto´s criteria and care during the several decades he lived in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Soto's creations lie within the kinetic branch of Constructivism
Constructivism (art)
Constructivism was an artistic and architectural philosophy that originated in Russia beginning in 1919, which was a rejection of the idea of autonomous art. The movement was in favour of art as a practice for social purposes. Constructivism had a great effect on modern art movements of the 20th...
, which primarily seeks to give the impression or illusion of movement as perceived by the spectator, depending on the position before the art piece. One of Soto's greatest artistic achievements, within his vast and renowned career, are the penetrable spaces, works in which the public integrate spatially to the artistic production.
Museum's collection
Jean Arp
Jean Arp / Hans Arp was a German-French, or Alsatian, sculptor, painter, poet and abstract artist in other media such as torn and pasted paper....
, Johannes Itten
Johannes Itten
Johannes Itten was a Swiss expressionist painter, designer, teacher, writer and theorist associated with the Bauhaus school...
, Kasimir Malevitch, Natalia Gontcharova, Serge Poliakoff
Serge Poliakoff
Serge Poliakoff was a Russian-born French modernist painter belonging to the 'New' Ecole de Paris .- Biography :...
, Josef Albers
Josef Albers
Josef Albers was a German-born American artist and educator whose work, both in Europe and in the United States, formed the basis of some of the most influential and far-reaching art education programs of the 20th century....
, Sonia Delaunay
Sonia Delaunay
Sonia Delaunay was a Jewish-French artist who, with her husband Robert Delaunay and others, cofounded the Orphism art movement, noted for its use of strong colours and geometric shapes. Her work extends to painting, textile design and stage set design...
, Pavel Mansouriff, Henryk Berlewi
Henryk Berlewi
Henryk Berlewi was a Polish painter.- External links :*...
, Jean Gorin, Alberto Magnelli
Alberto Magnelli
Alberto Magnelli was an Italian modern painter who was a significant figure in the post war Concrete art movement.- Biography :...
, Man Ray
Man Ray
Man Ray , born Emmanuel Radnitzky, was an American artist who spent most of his career in Paris, France. Perhaps best described simply as a modernist, he was a significant contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal...
, and Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
. Also represented are some artists who, since 1945, formulated new approaches, although conceptually linked to vanguardism of the beginning of the 20th century, these artists are: Max Bill
Max Bill
Max Bill was a Swiss architect, artist, painter, typeface designer, industrial designer and graphic designer.Bill was born in Winterthur...
, Lucio Fontana
Lucio Fontana
Lucio Fontana was an Italian painter, sculptor and theorist of Argentine birth. He was mostly known as the founder of Spatialism and his ties to Arte Povera.-Early life:...
, Carmelo Arden Quin
Carmelo Arden Quin
The artist Carmelo Arden Quin was born in Rivera, Uruguay. Before he moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina during the early 1940s, he lived in Uruguay and Brazil. In 1946 Arden moved to Paris and returned to Argentina during the 1950s. He has been a poet, political writer, painter, sculptor and...
, Berto Lardera
Berto Lardera
Roberto Lardera , was a notable Italian sculptor of the 20th Century. He was informally known as Berto Lardera. He was born in La Spezia, Italy, the son of a shipyard worker...
, Emile Giglioli, Antonio Calderara, Vjenceslaw Ritcher, and George Rickey
George Rickey
George Rickey was an American kinetic sculptor.Rickey was born on June 6, 1907 in South Bend, Indiana.-Life and work:...
. In this group we may find some renown Venezuelan artists such as: Marcel Floris, Gerd Leufert, Alejandro Otero
Alejandro Otero
Alejandro Otero was a Venezuelan artist, writer and cultural promoter.He studied at the "Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Artes Aplicadas de Caracas" from 1939 to 1945...
, and Francisco Narváez
Francisco Narváez
Venezuela's most important sculptor by popular acclamation, Francisco Narváez inaugurated his country's age of modernism at the start of the 1930s, returning from three years in Paris and instantly catalyzing the national culture...
. Closely linked to the optic and kinetic proposals are: Francisco Salazar, Francois Morellet
François Morellet
François Morellet is a contemporary French painter, engraver, sculptor and light artist. His early work prefigured Minimal art and Conceptual art, and he has played an important role in geometrical abstraction over the past half century.-Career:After a short period of figurative/representational...
, Marcelo Morandini, Luis Tomasello, Carlos Cruz-Diez
Carlos Cruz-Díez
Carlos Cruz-Diez is a Venezuelan kinetic and op artist. He lives in Paris. He has spent his professional career working and teaching between both Paris and Caracas. His work is represented in museums and public art sites internationally...
, Getulio Alviani
Getulio Alviani
Getulio Alviani is an Italian painter born in Udine. He is considered to be an important International Optical - Kinetic artist.-Life and work:Since childhood Alviani showed talent for design and geometric drawing...
(who has been director of the museum for a few years) and Victor Vasarely
Victor Vasarely
Victor Vasarely was a Hungarian French artist whose work is generally seen aligned with Op-art.His work entitled Zebra, created by Vasarely in the 1930s, is considered by some to be one of the earliest examples of Op-art...
,. Artists of the New Realism Movement, included in the Collection are: Christo, Jean Tinguely
Jean Tinguely
Jean Tinguely was a Swiss painter and sculptor. He is best known for his sculptural machines or kinetic art, in the Dada tradition; known officially as metamechanics...
, Raymond Hains
Raymond Hains
Raymond Hains was a French artist and photographer.-Biography:In 1945, Hains briefly enrolled in the sculpture course at the École des Beaux-Arts, Rennes and met Jacques de la Villeglé that same year. He then collaborated with E. Sougez as a photographer for France-Illustration...
, Yves Klein
Yves Klein
Yves Klein was a French artist considered an important figure in post-war European art. He is the leading member of the French artistic movement of Nouveau réalisme founded in 1960 by the art critic Pierre Restany...
, Arman
Arman
Arman was a French-born American artist. Born Armand Pierre Fernandez in Nice, France, Arman is a painter who moved from using the objects as paintbrushes to using them as the painting itself...
, and Daniel Spoerri
Daniel Spoerri
Daniel Spoerri is a Swiss artist and writer born in Romania, who has been called "the central figure of European post-war art" and "one of the most renown[ed] [artists] of the 20th century." Spoerri is best known for his "snare-pictures," a type of assemblage or object art, in which he captures...
. Other renown artists among the Museum's collection are: Bernard Aubertin, it:Gianni Colombo, Gothard Graubner, Adolf Luther, Heinz Mack
Heinz Mack
Heinz Mack is a German artist. Together with Otto Piene he founded the ZERO movement in 1957. He exhibited works at documenta in 1964 and 1977 and he represented Germany at the 1970 Venice Biennale. He is best known for his contributions to op art, light art and kinetic art.- Biography :Heinz Mack...
, Christian Merget and Paul Talman.
Building
Carlos Raúl VillanuevaCarlos Raúl Villanueva
Carlos Raúl Villanueva was the most prominent Venezuelan architect of the 20th century and one of the great Modernists. He played a major role in the development and modernization of Caracas, Maracay and other cities across the country...
, architect of both the Museum of Fine Arts of Caracas, and the Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas
Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas
The University City of Caracas is the main Campus of the Central University of Venezuela. It was designed by the Venezuelan architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000...
, among other buildings donated the museum project to Ciudad Bolívar
Ciudad Bolívar
Ciudad Bolívar is the capital of Venezuela's southeastern Bolivar State. It was founded with the name Angostura in 1764, renamed in 1846, and, as of 2010, had an estimated population of 350,691....
, From an architectural standpoint, he conceived it so it would be closely associated to the artistic approach of the collection. The edifice was built in two stages, the first stage emphasizes the value of touring the museum, visually integrating both roofed and open spaces. The exhibition galleries, arranged around a garden of sculptures, are connected by corridors, thus creating different spaces for the spectator. Defined in accordance with the distribution of the works of art, galleries, 1, 2, 3, and 4 house the works of art of Venezuelan and foreign artists represented in the collection. In galleries 5, 6, and 7 (The Cube) the artistic career of Jesús Soto is shown. The second stage, which has preserved Villanueva's design in a balanced manner consists of the entrance hall, the library, the exhibitions hall, administrative offices, and service areas.
See also
- VenezuelaVenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
- Jesús Soto
- Ciudad BolívarCiudad BolívarCiudad Bolívar is the capital of Venezuela's southeastern Bolivar State. It was founded with the name Angostura in 1764, renamed in 1846, and, as of 2010, had an estimated population of 350,691....
- Museums of modern artMuseums of modern art-Argentina:*Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires *Buenos Aires Museum of Modern Art -Australia:*Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney 140 George Street, The Rocks, Sydney*Heide Museum of Modern Art, Bulleen, Melbourne...
- Kinetic artKinetic artKinetic art is art that contains moving parts or depends on motion for its effect. The moving parts are generally powered by wind, a motor or the observer. Kinetic art encompasses a wide variety of overlapping techniques and styles.-Kinetic sculpture:...
Sources
- Venezuelatuya.com
- Information from a free brochure about the museum.