Bridging Continents Through Art - In Conversation with MALBA’s Chief Curator Maria Amalia García
2025/04/30
From 21st April to 19th July 2025, the National Museum of Qatar will host LATINOAMERICANO: Modern and Contemporary Art from the Malba and Eduardo F. Costantini Collections, a landmark exhibition that brings together more than 170 works from across Latin America. Presented in partnership with Qatar Museums, this exhibition marks a vibrant cultural exchange between Latin America and the Middle East as part of the Qatar-Argentina-Chile 2025 Year of Culture.
Co-curated by Maria Amalia García, Chief Curator of MALBA (Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires), alongside Issa Al Shirawi, the exhibition invites viewers into a rich visual journey through five thematic sections that reflect the diversity, complexity, and spirit of Latin American art from the early 20th century to today.
We spoke with Maria Amalia García to learn more about her curatorial approach, the key ideas behind LATINOAMERICANO, and how this ambitious exhibition was shaped through a cross-cultural dialogue with curators in Qatar. In the conversation that follows, García reflects on the power of art to challenge narratives and open up new conversations across continents.
Can you tell us a little about your background? What initially drew you to the study and curation of Latin American art?
My work is focused on enriching and diversifying the readings of Malba’s works and artists. My studies and teaching in Art History at the University of Buenos Aires and my role as a researcher at CONICET (National Council on Scientific and Technical Research) have deepened my understanding of cultural interactions in our region. I’m particularly interested in the study and dissemination of Latin American art, especially the transitions in modern art, with an emphasis on abstract figurations.
How has your role as Chief Curator of MALBA shaped your perspective on the region’s artistic heritage?
My role as Malba's Chief Curator has strengthened my commitment to a pluralistic and critical approach to Latin American artistic heritage. Since joining the institution in 2021, I’ve led exhibitions like Tercer Ojo, which examines our collection alongside Eduardo F. Costantini’s, addressing issues such as modern art heritage on contemporary art, sustainability, subjectivity and self-representation. We’ve also expanded the collection, promoting a more inclusive and diverse view of our region's art. These projects reflect my belief that museums should integrate and foster diverse perspectives.
Can you tell us about the key themes and narratives that are highlighted in LATINOAMERICANO?
LATINOAMERICANO explores the region’s art not through a linear historical approach but through themes that transcend time, such as the relationship with the territory, the cities, social struggles, shifting identities and artistic mediums. We wanted to highlight how Latin American artists have created powerful images to imagine their time and place, often from the perspective of resistance and the collective.
This exhibition celebrates diversity and dialogues between the modern and the contemporary, encouraging us to rethink our narratives from a critical and localised standpoint. The exhibition showcases approximately 200 works, providing a comprehensive overview of the continent’s artistic production from 1900 until today.
How did collaborating with Qatar Museums Head of International Exhibitions, Issa Al Shirawi, shape the curatorial approach for this exhibition? What insights have you gained from working within this new cultural context?
Working with Issa Al Shirawi and Sheikha Al Jazi Al Thani was a deeply enriching experience. From the outset, we established a collaborative dialogue, recognising that Latin American art should resonate within this new cultural context. Issa brought a unique perspective on how to interpret our works from Qatar, challenging us to adjust certain focal points while retaining regional specificity. I learned a great deal about the richness of Arab culture and the importance of creating cultural bridges that are reciprocal. It was a process of listening, sharing, and co-creating.
Given the vast diversity of Latin American artworks in the MALBA collection, how did you go about curating an exhibition that is both authentic to Latin American history and accessible to a new audience in Doha?
One of the challenges was how to translate the richness and complexity of Latin American art for a public that may be encountering it for the first time. Rather than following a chronological or geographical structure, we organised the exhibition around key themes: the relationship with the territory, identity construction, and responses to social conflict, among others.
This structure allows us to connect with universal questions from a regionally situated perspective. Additionally, we collaborated closely with the local team to ensure the cultural reception in Doha was thoughtful and respectful.
The exhibition draws parallels between Latin American and Arab artistic traditions. Could you elaborate on some of the connections you discovered?
A fascinating connection that emerged in collaboration with the Qatar team was the shared emphasis on the ancestral, the spiritual, and the symbolic. Both cultures show a deep respect for memory, oral traditions, and ritualistic forms of transmission. For instance, works like Cecilia Vicuña’s quipus—woven records of knowledge—parallel similar forms in Arab cultures. While the languages may differ, the resonance between these traditions is surprising.
What makes the National Museum of Qatar the ideal setting for this exhibition, and how does this exhibition shape a global understanding of Latin American modern and contemporary art?
The National Museum of Qatar is the perfect venue due to its architecture and its commitment to telling multifaceted stories—stories of history, memory, territory, and identity. These are exactly the themes we explore in LATINOAMERICANO. Exhibiting our art in such a space allows Latin American art to be integrated into a broader, global narrative, giving it its rightful place as a distinct voice. The museum’s engagement with diverse audiences also fosters new interpretations and dialogues about modernity and contemporaneity.
What are the important takeaways you hope visitors will gain from the exhibition? What kinds of conversations do you hope these works will spark among audiences?
I hope visitors leave with an appreciation for the richness and diversity of Latin American art—not as a monolithic expression, but as a multifaceted field shaped by countless voices, histories, and struggles. The exhibition encourages reflection on how artists respond to social and political contexts, and how they engage with nature, ancestral knowledge, and each other. I hope these works spark conversations about identity, resistance, and creativity, and demonstrate the power of art to connect cultures in unexpected and meaningful ways.
The Qatar Argentina and Chile 2025 Year of Culture aims to strengthen artistic ties between our cultures. What long-term impact do you hope this exhibition will have on cross-cultural collaboration?
This exhibition is part of a broader effort to build lasting bridges between our cultures. I hope it will deepen the understanding of Latin American art and promote a sense of shared experience and dialogue with the Arab world. In the long term, I hope it inspires continued collaborations and exchanges, as well as new artistic projects that connect our regions in meaningful ways. The Qatar-Argentina and Chile 2025 Year of Culture is a unique opportunity to explore how art can be a transformative tool for mutual respect, learning, and cross-cultural understanding.
