This collective exhibition inaugurates a cycle of revision focused on the artistic production of the Antioqueño artists of the 1970s who came together as a generational group and were later referred to as the Eleven from Antioquia, following the emblematic exhibition held in 1975 by the Museum of Modern Art of Bogotá and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Pereira, curated at the time by Eduardo Serrano. With diverse approaches, intentions, and media explorations, the living artists—along with some now deceased—form a heterogeneous group, which can be seen as one of the defining features of post-historical art that emerged between the mid-1960s and the 1980s. This notion, developed by philosopher Arthur Danto and art historian Hans Belting, refers to art that arose and expanded after the exhaustion of the modernist narrative.

While some of these artists saw the early peak of their careers in the 1970s—such as Dora Ramírez, Marta Elena Vélez, Juan Camilo Uribe, Rodrigo Callejas, Óscar Jaramillo, Félix Ángel (the youngest of the group), and Javier Restrepo, the philosopher among them—their national and Latin American impact through group shows, biennials, and recognition by the art market and collectors gradually faded into obscurity as more disruptive artistic practices emerged in the new millennium. Nonetheless, researchers, academics, and a select group of collectors have, over the past fifteen years, contributed to a renewed appreciation and visibility of this generation that marked a pivotal moment in Colombian art. Their works have been featured in exhibitions such as Referentes, in gallery circuits, and have been the focus of informed collecting. The recent resurgence of interest in artists such as John Castles, Hugo Zapata, Humberto Pérez, and more recently Álvaro Marín, confirms this new momentum.

This first collective revision presents significant works from that initial period, complemented by an archive of documents, letters, publications, and personal objects from the artists, most of which will be made available. The cycle will continue over the next five years with paired retrospectives—two artists per exhibition—framed as dialogues between complementary or contrasting sensibilities, reflecting the diversity of styles and media each artist explored throughout their careers, from their early practices to their later works.

Special thanks to the artists, heirs, gallerists, and collectors for making works, ideas, and documents available for the successful beginning of this cycle.

Carlos Uribe
Curator