Retrospective of Guatemalan artist Margarita Azurdia opens at La Nueva Fábrica in Antigua
'A Universe, Documented,' a retrospective exhibition honoring Margarita Azurdia, is being held at La Nueva Fábrica in Antigua, Guatemala, from 18 November to 28 April. The exhibit includes twelve paintings, textile pieces, a sculpture, videos of ritual performances from the 1990s, a conceptual wall map, and approximately one hundred documentary materials. Azurdia, who was born in Antigua in 1931, had her inaugural solo show in 1963 and experimented with various artistic forms, frequently altering her name. In the early 1970s, she began creating polychrome sculptures influenced by the Popol Vuh, providing commentary on the Guatemalan Civil War. After relocating to Paris in 1976, much of her work was lost. She co-founded the Laboratorio de Creatividad in 1984 and died in 1998.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'A Universe, Documented' runs from 18 November to 28 April at La Nueva Fábrica in Antigua, Guatemala
- Margarita Azurdia was born in Antigua in 1931 and held her first solo exhibition in 1963
- The show includes paintings, textiles, sculptures, videos, a conceptual map, and documentary archives
- Azurdia created polychrome sculptures in the early 1970s inspired by the Popol Vuh, carved by local artisans
- Her work 'Cocodrilo Verde' (1974) critiques the Guatemalan Civil War (1960–96)
- She co-founded the Laboratorio de Creatividad in 1984 with Benjamin Herrarte and Fernando Iturbide
- Azurdia publicly confronted peers from Grupo Vértebra, including Roberto Cabrera, Elmar Rojas, and Marco Augusto Quiroa
- She passed away in 1998, with recent efforts rehabilitating her legacy
Entities
Artists
- Margarita Azurdia
- Margot Fanjul
- Anastasia Margarita
- Margarita Rita Rica Dinamite
- Benjamin Herrarte
- Fernando Iturbide
- Roberto Cabrera
- Elmar Rojas
- Marco Augusto Quiroa
- Rosina Cazali
- Louise Darblay
- Ignacio Szmulewicz R.
Institutions
- La Nueva Fábrica
- Grupo Vértebra
- Laboratorio de Creatividad
- ArtReview
Locations
- Antigua
- Guatemala
- Paris
- France
- Latin America
- Central America