Convergences/Divergences: Ye'kwana and Modern Art at JCMAC Miami

The exhibition 'Convergences/Divergences – Primitive Sources The Modern' at the Juan Carlos Maldonado Art Collection (JCMAC) in Miami juxtaposes Ye'kwana indigenous art with modern Western works. Organized in three thematic sections, it opens with figurative symbolism: Joaquín Torres-García's 'Constructif avec Poisson Ocre' (1932) uses a cross, boat, and fish as Christian and colonial references, paralleling Ye'kwana baskets where monkeys with stars in 'Mono Tití en cesta dividida' depict the myth of Yarakuru stealing the night. The second section explores abstraction: François Morellet's '10 trames 0, 8, 16, 32, 64…' (1971) uses mathematical duplication for line angles, while Ye'kwana baskets follow strict color and shape patterns akin to mandalas. The final room highlights material similarities: Gonzalo Fonseca's 'Shape and Relief' (1948) uses painted wooden sticks inspired by tribes like the Ye'kwana, critiquing industrial society. Other works include Jesús Rafael Soto's 'Spirale No. 13' (1965), Matthias Goeritz's 'Golden Message' (1960), and Carmen Herrera's 'Sin título' (1948). The exhibition runs until January 19, 2019, at JCMAC, Buick Building, 3841 NE 2nd Ave., Suite 201, Miami, FL. Text and photos by Colombian cultural journalist Cristina Esguerra.