True worldwide giants of arts acknowledged

By: Octavio Borges

Havana.- The Doctor Honoris Causa Title from the Cuban University of Arts was recently granted to artists Joseph Kosuth, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Daniel Buren, and Gabriel Orozco, true giants of the world contemporary art.

At this institution, the artists received the certificate, as well as art works made by professors and students of this university, given by Julián González, Minister of Culture, and Rolando González Patricio, dean of the house of higher studies.

Hortensia Peramo, professor and researcher, during her praising speech, stressed that they four are brilliant by their advanced artistic and humane speeches, and recalled the center has had the support of other great intellectuals, as Julio Le Parc, Roberto Matta and Luigi Nono.

De Daniel Buren (France 1938) said that, in May, 1968, he left the institutional system and spread his work throughout Paris, as a pioneer of conceptualism, which took public spaces and buildings to make people closer to his art.

As regards to Pistoletto (Italy, 1933), he said he was a pioneer of the so-called povera art, which revolutionized the art world with its critical approach about art marketing and the confrontation of nature with technology.

He described Joseph Kosuth (US, 1945) as the denier of the art object, its dematerializing, where he placed the idea, which turned him into a champion of conceptualism.

About Gabriel Orozco (Mexico, 1962) he stated he was a tireless entrepreneur of new materials, techniques and languages, and at the 11th Havana Biennial, he left a deep imprint with his joint work with students from the Cuban University of Arts.

The artists appreciated the honor of receiving the title Doctor Honoris Causa from such prestigious institution and Orozco, jokingly, stated he felt a special privilege for being the youngest of the four.

He also said that having become a Cuban Doctor gives him a big prestige, because, in the world, professionals like these are recognized by their rigor and devotion in the places where they are most needed.

Source: PL