Demonstration by Antonio Berni
In the 1930s, Berni considered modern art as “trivial decorativism,” and he intended to produce artworks that expose inequalities, exclusion, and poverty.
Demonstration (1934) by Antonio BerniMALBA – Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires
A committed art
In the early 1930s, after returning from a long stay in Europe, and in a context of deep economic crisis on a global scale, Berni sought to promote an art committed to the political reality of his country of origin.
Manifestación
Manifestación is based on a reworking of the postulates of Mexican muralism, according to Berni's idea of a "New Realism" that proposes to connect avant-garde art with social reality.
The materials and technique are in keeping with the situation of the working classes as depicted in the work, while the new resources he uses–reference photographs, cinematographic framing–reflect a modern view of the subject.
My time
In his personal archive, Berni kept, along with his own photographic records, images that circulated in the newspapers of the time.
The material extracted from the press was the basic repertoire with which he worked to give identity to his characters.
Transportable mural
The work was conceived as a "transportable mural" to be exhibited at strikes and political rallies.
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