Ramírez Villamizar

El Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Bogotá -MAC rinde homenaje al Maestro Ramírez Villamizar en el centenario de su nacimiento

By Museum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Museum of Contemporary Art of Bogotá - UNIMINUTO

Without a doubt Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar was a pioneer of abstract sculpture in Latin America. His work was influenced by a refined geometry, which was inspired by the ancestral cultures of the Andes and more classical movements.

Rojo y Negro by Eduardo Ramírez VillamizarMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

In the early stages of his creative process, Ramírez Villamizar would explore through geometric paintings, the relationship between color and perspective.

Nuevos artistas en Colombia by Hernán DíazMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Enrique Grau, Wiedemann, Alejandro Obregón, Armando Villegas, Fernando Botero, and Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar formed part of an artistic group that spearheaded the new generation of modern art.

Nuevos artistas en Colombia by Hernán DíazMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

With their sculptures, collages, mixed media, and paintings, they introduced new modern trends and paved the way for the newer generations in Colombia.

Fotos históricas by no identificadoMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Ramírez Villamizar by Archivo Corporacion ERVMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

The monochromatic, high-relief wooden sculptures allowed Ramírez Villamizar to explore new concepts and forms of expression.

Ramírez Villamizar by Archivo Corporacion ERVMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

The intricate Baroque altars of his hometown Pamplona (Santander), traditional goldwork, pre-Columbian ceramics, and the stunning ruins of Machu Picchu were among his main points of inspiration.

Custody (1964/1964) by Eduardo Ramirez VillamizarMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Exploring Ramirez Villamizar's Collection

The collection housed by the Museum of Contemporary Art of Bogotá covers several periods of Ramírez Villamizar's creative trajectory and 'Custody' (1964) was one of the first works to enter the collection.

'Custody' used to be located in the Saint John Eudes parish and there it served a liturgical role. It now forms part of a sculptural space adjacent to the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Policrom Cathedral Policrom Cathedral Part 1 (1984/1984) by Eduardo Ramirez VillamizarMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

The Polychrome Cathedral is one of the most important pieces of Ramírez Villamizar's mature oeuvre, where his passion for architecture, geometry, and sacred spaces reaches its peak.

Policrom Cathedral Policrom Cathedral Part 2 (1984/1984) by Eduardo Ramirez VillamizarMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

This perspective of the sculpture invites the viewer to cross the arches of the cathedral, and the economy of colors and materials enhance the superb construction lines.

Aerolito (1998/1998) by Eduardo Ramirez VillamizarMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

The aerolite is a rhomboid shaped sculpture that leans on one of its vertices, emphasizing the speed and force with which a celestial body of this type penetrates the Earth's atmosphere.

Sin título (1978/1978) by Eduardo Ramirez VillamizarMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Ramírez Villamizar also has an extensive body of graphic work where he continues to perfect his geometric compositions, his black and orange color palette, and rectangular serializations.

escultura urbana by ni identificadoMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Discover His Public Works of Art

An important chapter of Ramírez Villamizar's legacy is his abundant body of public works that today live in Colombia, United States, Venezuela, and Cuba.

escultura urbana by ni identificadoMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

These 16 towers made from concrete lie on top of the hill in the National Park. Initially they were thought to be the focal point of Hill Avenue, but unfortunately the layout of the avenue was changed.

escultura urbana by ni identificadoMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Today, this beautiful sculpture overlooks the city, from the western hills to the montane savanna of Bogotá.

escultura urbana by ni identificadoMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Medellin's Chamber of Commerce on the eastern avenue welcomes visitors with an imposing sculpture that defies perspective and creates a level of tension between the two encroaching walls.

Escultura urbana by ni identificadoMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

The urban renewal of downtown Bogotá and its Tercer Milenio park includes an imposing door designed by Ramírez Villamizar.

Escultura urbana by ni identificadoMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

The international trade center of Bogotá houses the 'Mirror of the Moon' sculpture, a masterful and imposing geometric construction whose lines are sinuous and vibrant.

escultura urbana by ni identificadoMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

In the convention center of Bogotá we find this spacecraft inspired sculpture that pays homage to Ramírez Villamizar's unique vision of interplanetary journeys.

escultura urbana by ni identificadoMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

The avenue to the El Dorado Airport serves as a sculptural space that welcomes visitors to Bogotá, here Ramírez Villamizar installed his winged 'Victory'.

escultura urbana by ni identificadoMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

His sculpture is inspired by 'The Winged Victory of Samothrace', and his dynamic construction plans allude to the movement wings make when they take flight.

Ramírez Villamizar by Archivo Corporacion ERVMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Uncover the Methodology Behind the Work

Ramírez Villamizar was an architect by profession, and he would always create cardboard mock-ups where he would test the balance and modulation he wished to convey in his work.

maqueta de cartón by ni identificadoMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

With duct tape he would join the pieces together and play with them, correcting and adjusting any mistakes before the cutting and welding of the definitive pieces.

Catedral policromada (1984) by Eduardo Ramírez VillamizarMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Ramírez Villamizar's Lasting Legacy

Many of Ramírez Villamizar's contemporaries and later generations of sculptors have followed his thorough, neat, and highly aesthetic content.

Ramírez Villamizar by Abdu eljaiekMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Navegante (1972) by Edgar NegretMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Edgar Negret, Ramírez Villamizar is a pillar of the sculptures built in the second half of the 20th century.

Construcción flor (2006) by Augusto ArdilaMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Augusto Ardilla takes a page from Ramírez Villamizar's book, remembering the importance of geometry and exploring its potential.

Oriente (2009) by John CastlesMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Castles takes minimalism to the limits with the help of geometric synthesis, an artistic path that Ramírez Villamizar pioneered.

Cosas y también la manzana (1965) by Beatriz DazaMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Beatriz Daza, with her mixture of ceramic and re-purposed materials, echo the high-relief and abstract sculptures of Ramírez Villamizar.

Baúl mágico I (1980) by Jaime FinkelsteinMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Jamie Finkelstein, with cardboard and wood, creates dynamic sculptures that can be packaged and adapted to diverse spaces.

Símbolo Armas (1965) by Manuel HernándezMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Manuel Hernández, with his highly charged symbolic paintings, walks in parallel with Ramírez Villamizar, creating his own language that as time progresses will become fully formed.

Retrato de Ramirez Villamizar, Lorenzo Jaramillo, From the collection of: Museum of Contemporary Art Bogotá
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Lorenzo Jaramillo pays homage to his Maestro with this portrait of Ramírez Villamizar in his later years.

Fotos históricas by no identificadoMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

A Legacy That Lives On

The Museum of Contemporary Art of Bogotá pays tribute to the valuable legacy of Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar and the role he played in developing the abstract sculpture movement in Colombia and Latin America. His ties to the museum are thanks to his friendship with Professor Rafael García Herreros, his conviction that museums are crucial for the social fabric, and his desire to build art collections for future generations.

Ramírez Villamizar by Archivo Corporacion ERVMuseum of Contemporary Art Bogotá

Credits: Story

Curatorship and texts: Gustavo A. Ortiz Serrano
Bibliography: Ortiz, Gustavo A. La contemporaneidad en Colombia.MAC, Uniminuto 2006.
Varios, Ramírez Villamizar. Flota Mercante Grancolombiana, Mambo. 1984.
Mutis Duran, Santiago. Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar. Jaime Vargas Ediciones. 2000.
Franco, Ana MAría. Ramírez Villamizar, geometría y abstracción. ediciones gamma. 2010.
Gaviria, Juan Alberto. Ramírez Villamizar, Pintor. Museo nacional de Colombia.1999.

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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