Alejandro Obregón
Violence
1962
Oil painting
155 x 188 cm





Pedro Nel Gómez
They Set Fire to His House
From the series Memories of Violence
1950
Watercolour
55 x 75 cm
Pedro Nel Gómez Museum House, MedellÍn





Pedro Alcántara
Martyrdom Elevates Man – Human Roots
1966
India ink on wood-backed paper
180 x 159 cm
La Tertulia Museum of Modern Art, Cali





Ramiro Gómez
Chair
1975
Montage - metal and plant
53 x 39 x 33 cm





Jim Amaral
Sequestration
1996
Bronze
72 x 22 x 44 cm





Juan Manuel Echavarría
Bolívar’s Plate : 1999
1999
Video-installation

Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá

Sensitive to the clamours for peace now reverberating throughout Colombia, the Bogotá Museum of Modern Art has organized an exhibition called “Art and Violence in Colombia since 1948” as a way to encourage Colombians to reflect more deeply and rationally about the scourge of violence that has caused so much blood-letting in the country over the last half-century.

Many of our artists have produced works dealing with the theme of violence, the best known being Alejandro Obregón’s Violence, dating from 1962, which represents a vibrant appeal for tolerance. Fifty-two years have passed since death began reigning over our country; and at least four generations have witnessed with horror how terror has spread, and continues to spread unabatedly.

Violence has left an indelible imprint on Colombian culture. It is a recurring theme in the visual arts, literature, theatre and film. Given its magnitude, it has an enormous impact on our lives, and can leave no one indifferent.

We never expected to cover such a vast field of study. We first asked a group of writers known for their serious intellectual work to reflect on the repercussions of violence in various Colombian cultural milieux. Incorporated into a catalogue, their insights, including previously neglected details and viewpoints, enabled us to broaden the spectrum of ideas about violence and see it under many different angles.

With this exhibition, the Museum of Modern Art hopes to contribute_through its facilities, resources and research work_to the much-anticipated resolution of the bloodiest conflict in recent Colombian history. On that subject, it should be noted that the idea of presenting cultural works with a view to changing the behaviours and habits of Colombians, and encouraging them to think about social issues, became increasingly entrenched during the last few years. Although there is something very current about the impetus for this project, there are some noteworthy precedents, namely the 150 works included in this vast exhibition.

Artists should not shirk their ethical and civil responsibilities. On the contrary, they have a moral duty to seek out a path toward a better world. Art is grounded in creation, in life itself, while violence means only death and destruction. Institutions working in the artistic field share this responsibility, one that the Museum of Modern Art was determined to fully assume.

Gloria Zea, Director, Bogotá Museum of Modern Art, Bogotá, Colombia