Beyond Geography: Forty Years of Visual Arts at the Americas Society

America Society presented Beyond Geography, in celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the Visual Arts program at the institution. Curated by Gabriela Rangel, the exhibition took the Americas Society’s mission statement as its conceptual core and explored its transformation through time. Beyond Geography examined the points of origin of Latin America art collections in New York, the institutionalization of this art, and its introduction to the public through exhibitions produced by the Americas Society’s Visual Arts program.

Beyond Geography was organized around three non-chronological sections. The exhibition began with Points of Origin, focused on the development of specialized collections, and the expansion of the muralist canon after the war. The second section, called Beyond Geography, concentrated on themes such as dematerialization and abstraction. The last segment, Insertions, presented experimental works that showed the era of multiculturalism, and later on, the era of globalization.

Works on view included artists such as Juan Downey, Gego, Michael Snow, Marta Minujín, Eduardo Costa, John Perrault, Hannah Weiner, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siquieros, Omar Rayo, Fernando Botero, Wifredo Lam, Kim Dingle, Melchor Pérez Holguín, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Martin Chambi, Burt Glinn, Willys de Castro, Cesar Paternosto, Jo Baer and Geneviève Cadieux.

Exhibition Catalogue Available

^{The exhibition was curated by Gabriela Rangel. The team that helped research the exhibition included: Angela Herren, Ph.D. Candidate, Art History, City University of New York and Curatorial Assistant, Americas Society; Mark Wisniewski, Ph.D. Candidate, International Education, New York University; Ana Tallone, Ph.D. Candidate, Art History, City University of New York; Penelope Ojeda, Ph.D. Candidate, Art History, City University of New York; Patricia Olender, Production Associate, Americas Society.}

This 40th Anniversary exhibition and other related events were made possible thanks to the generous support from David Rockefeller; Fundación Miguel Alemán A.C.; Bruce T. Halle Family Foundation; Georgia & Michael de Havenon; Ministry of Foreign Relations, International Trade and Worship – Department of Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Argentina in New York; Marcos de Moraes; Jan & Frederick Mayer; Anonymous.

Installation views: ^{Beyond Geography. Americas Society. 2005. Photographs by Arturo Sanchez.}