Waves of wood and art: museum with an international focus opens in Uruguay

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In an event attended by thousands of people, the artistic alliance of Uruguayans Pablo Atchugarry and Carlos Ott was inaugurated for free public enjoyment.

The renowned sculptor, particularly in Italy, where he settled decades ago enamored with Carrara marble, expanded the concept of his already existing Foundation into a museum to exhibit his collection of acclaimed artists and host international exhibitions.

To carry out his project, he persuaded Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott, who 32 years ago, at the age of 43, won the competition to build the Bastille Opera House in Paris, to translate his idea into wood.

Hence the MACA was born: two adjoining buildings with over 5,000 m2 of exhibition space, erected in pink eucalyptus wood, complete the site where Atchugarry – whose work “Contemporary Day” broke a personal sales record at Sotheby’s in December – installed his Sculpture Garden some time ago.

ETERNAL AND VOLATILE

In contrast to the eternity of marble – the material that internationally characterizes the sculptor’s work – the choice for the opening of this new cultural venue was the work of two artists who make the volatile and occasional their artistic banner: Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

A retrospective exhibition with over 50 works by the two artists, who covered the Reichstag in Germany, the Pont-Neuf in France, or a valley in the Rocky Mountains in the United States, was installed for the first time in South America in Uruguay, which, coincidentally, intended to have its own building installed but never succeeded in doing so.

As described in the exhibition’s brochure “Christo and Jeanne-Claude in Uruguay,” curated by Italian Lorenza Giovanelli, who worked for Christo between 2017 and 2020, the Uruguayan National Museum of Visual Arts wanted them to cover the MERCOSUR bloc’s headquarters building in Montevideo but the artists replied that they didn’t accept works on request.

In addition, the exhibition “Heliografías” by Argentine León Ferrari, added a Latin American note to the exhibition with which the MACA began its journey.

Atchugarry’s permanent collection, comprising over 100 works by international artists, such as Uruguay’s Joaquín Torres-García and Carmelo Arden-Quin or Argentina’s Julio Le Parc, completes the installation of the exhibition halls.

A CROWDED OPENING

Tourists from all over the world filled the gardens of the Atchugarry Foundation complex surrounding the colossal building on a sunny day with a gentle summer breeze, waiting for the main event.

With a wooden scissors that, in Atchugarry’s words, was created by Italian artists for the occasion, Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou inaugurated the museum located in the town of Manantiales, near the tourist resort of Punta del Este, in the country’s southeast.

During the ceremony, also attended by ex-presidents Julio María Sanguinetti (1985-1990 and 1995-2000) and José Mujica (2010-2015), the President stressed that the MACA will be “a symbol and a reference of the whole country in the world.”

THE YOUNG MAN’S DREAM

When he was 25 years old and a young sculptor living in Montevideo, Atchugarry held an exhibition in Punta del Este, in the same hotel where Brazilians Vinicius de Moraes, Maria Creuza and Toquinho were performing that night.

This anecdote, recently told by the Uruguayan artist in an interview, led to one of these Brazilian artists, guitarist and singer-songwriter Toquinho, to be chosen to perform at the exhibition’s opening.

Atchugarry realized some of his dreams in this museum, as he aspires to make an impact on Uruguay’s socio-cultural development through his foundation, in a way that will awaken the curiosity of new generations.

Moreover, for considering famous Italian sculptor and painter Michelangelo Buonarotti as his “mentor,” he sees the MACA as his own Sistine Chapel and hopes to now be able to overcome the challenges that await him.

“The main challenge is to try to connect what creators from all over the world have done or are doing,” Atchugarry says, while adding that art “is the highest expression of the human being.”