As we strive to preserve the past, how can we avoid becoming nostalgic? Memories often come with a tinge of sentimentality, softening the stark reality of the past. When Uruguayan artist Alejandro Cesarco discovered that his father was dying of cancer, he turned to his camera as a means of protecting himself from the sentimental distortions of his mind.
In his father’s office, Cesarco captured his presence on film, longing to extend the fleeting now and savor it before it disappeared. The result was not a shocking revelation or a fuzzy tribute, but rather a portrait of a man in his true form. Cesarco refers to this as an “anticipated memory,” a way of coping with impending loss.
After his father’s passing, Cesarco projected the film onto the walls of the same office, now empty and hollow. He then videotaped this projection, creating an image twice removed from its original source – the ghostly shadow of a memory.
This film-within-a-film is currently on display at MoMA as part of an exhibition featuring contemporary Latin American art gifted by Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, a long-time trustee of the museum. The exhibition explores the theme of memory and how we navigate it. It is a fascinating collection that captivates, much like the act of remembering itself, even when it lacks linear coherence.
The artworks in the exhibition span the past four decades and encompass various forms of memory – personal, historical, political, familial, cultural, and natural. Unlike the European model of artistic progression, where each avant-garde movement gives way to the next, Latin American artists coexist with the past. They engage with ancient civilizations, witness the decline of old-growth forests, and retell enduring myths.
One striking piece in the exhibition is Firelei Báez’s painting “Untitled (Terra Nova),” which overlays a burst of skin, guts, and foliage onto a 16th-century map. This work evokes the grand colonial past of Latin America. Another noteworthy artwork is Gabriel Kuri’s receipt from a Mexican convenience store, which captures the immediacy of everyday life.
Among the scattered artworks, the viewer is drawn to the enigmatically poetic, such as Leandro Katz’s photographic series of Central American and Mexican ruins. Katz retraced the steps of British artist-explorer Frederick Catherwood, who documented ancient Mayan cities in the 19th century. Katz’s aim was to expose the colonizing gaze of the past by juxtaposing Catherwood’s picturesque drawings with stark images of the same sites as they are today.
In a similar vein, Mexican artist Mario García Torres explores the history of the Grapetree Bay Hotel in St Croix, which was adorned with murals by the French artist Daniel Buren in the 1960s. Torres delves into the hotel’s past through photographs, found objects, and sound to reflect on European influence in the Americas. Despite the melancholic tone, it is worth noting that the hotel has recently reopened after restoration, hinting at the cyclical nature of memory.
A more abstract representation of memory can be found in Armando Andrade Tudela’s film “Deformed Pottery.” The film explores a vessel decorated with intricate lines, reminiscent of minimalist art. This ancient artifact from the Chancay culture holds no practical value but exerts a powerful aesthetic allure. Tudela’s camera captures the vessel’s unique topography, emphasizing light and shadow, and creating a dreamlike landscape. It becomes a reflection on damaged indigenous heritage that retains a mysterious and sensual power.
The exhibition at MoMA invites visitors to contemplate the multifaceted nature of memory. It challenges the linear progression of artistic movements and embraces the coexistence of the past and present. Through a diverse range of artworks, it sparks a dialogue about the ways in which we remember and the impact of memory on our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
To experience this thought-provoking exhibition, visit MoMA before September 9th. Stay updated on the latest stories by following @ftweekend on Twitter.
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