Mari Carmen Ramirez – författare

A sweeping new assessment of Frida Kahlo’s place in modern art, from her self-made image to her lasting influence for contemporary artists  Few artists have shaped popular culture as profoundly as Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907–1954), whose striking self-portraits and deeply personal symbolism have captivated audiences for decades. Remembered, too, for her tumultuous marriage to fellow artist Diego Rivera and her passionate political activism, Kahlo’s legacy transcends her artistic oeuvre. To this day, contemporary artists draw on Kahlo’s life and work for creative inspiration. Showcasing Kahlo’s paintings alongside the work of other artists from around the world and from midcentury to today, Frida: The Making of an Icon investigates the profound and lasting nature of Kahlo’s impact.  With essays by leading researchers, scholars, and curators, Frida: The Making of an Icon is the first major examination of how Kahlo became a global icon and an important artistic influence, especially beginning in the 1970s. In seven sections, addressing themes from Kahlo’s role as a gender-fluid intellectual to her political activism, and including conversations with contemporary artists Magali Lara and Mónica Mayer, this important book celebrates and bridges the complexities of her iconic status and cultural, political, commercial, and artistic legacy.  Published in association with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston  Exhibition Schedule:  The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston(January–May 2026)  Tate Modern, London(June 2026–January 2027)

In 2001, Eduardo Costantini, the founder of the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA), began collecting artworks from across Latin America. Today, the renowned Costantini Collection consists of more than two hundred works, encompassing drawings, paintings, sculptures, and objects by seventy-eight artists from various countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Uruguay, and Venezuela.In the spirit of cultural exchange, MALBA and the International Center for the Arts of the Americas (ICAA) at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, are joining together to exhibit fifty of these works, spanning from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. Among the celebrated artists represented in this beautiful book are Frida Kahlo, Wifredo Lam, Roberto Matta, and Diego Rivera. Also of note are works by Tarsila do Amaral, Rafael Barradas, Antonio Berni, and Alfredo Guttero. An interview by Mari Carmen Ramírez with Costantini sheds light on his philosophy of collecting, and texts by Marcelo Pacheco offer insights into the broad range of modern and contemporary art created in Latin America.Distributed for the Museum of Fine Arts, HoustonExhibition Schedule:The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (04/22/12–08/05/12)

Argentinian figurative artist Antonio Berni (1905–1981) is known for his aesthetic originality and for art steeped in social commentary. In the 1950s, he inaugurated a series of works that documented the lives of two fictional characters, Juanito Laguna and Ramona Montiel. Through the stories of Juanito, a denizen of Argentina’s shantytowns, and Ramona, who rises from the working class to the upper echelons of society, Berni addressed topics from industrialization to neocolonialism to economic backwardness and their effects on the population of underdeveloped countries.Written by leading scholars of Latin American art, this handsome volume presents the first comprehensive survey of the internationally acclaimed Juanito and Ramona series. Richly illustrated with more than 250 color images, the volume brings together nearly two decades of Berni’s monumental, mixed-media reliefs and assemblages, experimental works on paper, and sculptural constructions made of found, everyday objects.Distributed for the Museum of Fine Arts, HoustonExhibition Schedule:The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston(11/10/13–01/26/14)Phoenix Art Museum(06/28/14–09/21/14)

Exploring cutting-edge techniques and daring themes, many Latin American artists seamlessly intertwine aesthetic refinement with biting critiques of social and political issues. Contingent Beauty assembles major works by more than 20 such artists who have made significant contributions to the global art scene over the past 30 years. Encompassing a variety of media—including painting, drawing, sculpture, and video—the majority of these innovative works are culled from the holdings of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, which possesses an exceptional collection of contemporary Latin American art.  These objects, while formally sophisticated and alluring, are not ends unto themselves but rather tools intended to heighten viewers’ awareness of critical factors that shape the lives of these artists, such as poverty, gender, political repression, the war on drugs, and globalization. In some instances, the “beauty” of these works is contingent upon cultural interpretation. Tensions between beauty and violence, seduction and repulsion, elegance and brutality contribute to the enduring impact of this art and provide a revelatory experience for readers.Distributed for the Museum of Fine Arts, HoustonExhibition Schedule:The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston(11/22/2015–02/28/2016)