Biography (1929 – 1994)
Marcelo Bonevardi was born in Buenos Aires in 1929 but in 1935 his family moved to the Province of Córdoba. In the late 1940’s he studied architecture and then spent a year painting in Italy. After returning to Argentina, he abandoned his studies to peruse a career in art.
In 1958 he travelled to New York on a Guggenheim Fellowship and settled in the United States. In 1963 and 1964 he received fellowships from the New School for Social Research. In 1965 he opened his first solo show at the Bonino Gallery of New York. Upon visiting his studio lfred Barr, Director of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) purchased his works for the Museum’s collection.
In 1970 he went back to Argentina and turned his interest to Pre-Columbian Art. The following years he divided his time between Córdoba and New York till 1991 when he finally moved to Cordoba..
Bonaverdi was one of the most innovative artists of his generation. In New York City, he absorbed avant-guard practices and influences such as abstraction and primitivism. He is best known for his shaped canvases, which combine elements of painting and sculpture, reflecting his early training and lifelong interest in architecture.
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
2007. Espejos del Enigma, MAMAN Fine Art Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2006. Bonevardi primera etapa, Obras tempranas 1978-1959, Alon Foundation, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2006. Bonevardi, dibujos, Klemm Foundation, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1997. Ultimas obras, Municipal Museum Juan B. Castagnino, Rosario, Argentina.
1996. New York 1963-1969, Rubbers Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1990. Tiempo y Espacio de lo Sagrado – Retrospectiva 1963-1989, Fine Arts Museum Caracas, Venezuela.
1989. Mary-Anne Martin / Fine Art, New York, NY, United States.
1988. Provincial Museum Emilio A- Caraffa, Córdoba, Argentina.
1982. Retiro Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1980: Center for Inter-American Relations, New York, NY, United Sates.
1980. Retrospective 1963-1980, Museum of Contemporary Art of Caracas, Caracas Venezuela.
1980. Museum of Modern Art, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1978. Bonino Gallery, New York, NY, United States.
1974. Retrospective 1963-1974, Museum Of Contemporary Art of Montereal, Montereal, Canada.
1973. Bonino Gallery, New York, NY, United States.
1966. The J. L. Hudson Gallery, Detroit, MI, United States.
1965. Bonino Gallery, New York, NY, Unites States.
Awards and Prizes:
1973: First Acquisition Prize, Ten Argentine Artists at the United Nations (UN)
1969. International Prize, X São Pablo Biennale, São Paulo, Brazil.
1956: First Prize, XXXIII Anual Hall of Fine Arts, Santa Fé, Argentina.