Colombian artist Beatriz González dies at 93
Beatriz González, a key player in modern Latin American art, died at 93 on January 9 at her home in Bogotá. She was born in Bucaramanga in 1932 and lived through the chaotic years of 'La Violencia' from 1948 to 1958. Her artistic path began in the 1960s after studying with Marta Traba Taín at the University of Los Andes in Bogotá. Over her more than sixty-year career, she worked in various mediums, including painting and installation. Her famous series 'Los suicidas del Sisga' from 1965 reimagined a heartbreaking news story. Currently, her work is featured in a retrospective at the Pinacoteca de São Paulo until February 1, then it will travel to London and Oslo later this year.
Key facts
- Beatriz González died on 9 January at her home in Bogotá, aged 93.
- She was born in Bucaramanga, Colombia, in 1932.
- She studied under Marta Traba Taín at the University of Los Andes in Bogotá.
- Her series 'Los suicidas del Sisga' (1965) reimagines newspaper photos of a couple's suicide.
- She reinterpreted Manet's 'Déjeuner sur l’herbe' and Da Vinci's 'The Last Supper'.
- From the 1980s, her work became overtly political, e.g., 'Mr. President, What an honor to be with you at this historic moment' (1986).
- She coordinated education at Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá (1978–83) and was chief curator of Museo Nacional de Colombia (1989–2003).
- A retrospective is at Pinacoteca de São Paulo until 1 Feb, then travels to Barbican, London (25 Feb–10 May) and Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo (12 Jun–11 Oct).
Entities
Artists
- Beatriz González
- Marta Traba Taín
- Manet
- Da Vinci
Institutions
- University of Los Andes
- Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá
- Museo Nacional de Colombia
- Pinacoteca de São Paulo
- Barbican
- Astrup Fearnley Museet
- ArtReview
Locations
- Bogotá
- Colombia
- Bucaramanga
- Sisga Dam
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- London
- United Kingdom
- Oslo
- Norway