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EXPRESSIONS
LINKS
First-time viewing
An exhibit where the common thread is diversity
By Roger Hamilton
In an age of specialization, where even art exhibits must be organized around some carefully articulated theme, a recent showing at the IDB proved to be a refreshing exception.
Art of the Americas: Selections from the IDB Collection, held in the Art Gallery of the Bank’s Cultural Center, hearkened back to the time when a display of artworks merely reflected a particular collector’s tastes and interests. In the case of this exhibit, the collector’s interest was the artistic wealth of the IDB’s member countries, a theme whose breadth admitted an engaging level of diversity.
For most of its 40-year history, the IDB has collected works of art from its 46 member countries. Paintings, drawings, and etchings of all styles and treating many subjects grace the halls and offices of its Washington, D.C., headquarters, giving the Bank a palpable contact with the peoples and cultures of its worldwide membership.
The works in the recent exhibit were on display for the first time. They included an etching by renowned Chilean artist Roberto Matta, a print by the avant-garde Robert Rauschenberg of the United States, and an ink drawing by Canadian Inuit artist Kananginak Pootoogook.
Go to the links on the right for a virtual tour of some of the works conducted by Félix Angel, IDB curator.
Date posted: August 2001
