19.11.08 - Duchamp - Press kit

Duchamp in Proa - By Adriana Rosenberg

Presenting the first solo exhibition of Marcel Duchamp in Latin America means settling a debt. To do so on the occasion of the inauguration of a new building evidences the course that our exhibition program will take from now on; it delineates a field of action that, in proper Duchampian form, entails a deep reflection on what art and the work of art are, the future of the curator, the question of irony and, mostly, the fate of institutions. In this first decade of the century, Duchamp is a necessary point of reference when it comes to thinking about our times. He is the artist who best represents the territory of reflection consolidated by this new stage in the history of Fundación Proa. To paraphrase, Borges said, upon the launching of his magazine PROA, that art is a bow that leads into unknown lands to be discovered even by the artist himself. Over the years, the support of our sponsors and, in particular, their commitment to this new stage of our development has furthered the notion of progress through art.
For Fundación Proa, this is a unique occasion. It is an enormous privilege to exhibit a show of this sort at our new seat, and to share with the viewing public the possibility of learning about and enjoying an artist as extraordinary as Duchamp.

Adriana Rosenberg
President of Fundación Proa