Page 347 - Arte e Historia
P. 347
Art and History
at the Banco popular dominicano visual arts collection
of Caribbean and Central American Painting, promoted and renewed liberalism, social awareness and reactionary
by the Museum of Modern Art, the new name of Gallery anachronisms, pessimism and hope, they all are shadows
Plaza de la Cultura. and lights. These elements enlighten those who believe
and feel the Altagracian homeland, familiar, tricolour
Because of their programmatic nature, the national and Trinitarian which was revamped with the discussion
exhibitions contests became far-reaching public events, on our modern Dominican democracy years ago (1961-
also obtained by a variety of exhibitions such as: «Art 1964), years in which actions and foundational dreams
since Independence 1844-1969,» organized at the Na- emerged, as Banco popular, which rises with credible cre-
tional Gallery (1982), «100 Years of Dominican Paint- dentials similar to the erected Architectural Tower with
ing, Continuity and Rupture,» centennial exhibition of colossal duplication of the ancient Cordón door, work
Brugal & Co. (1888-1988), the sequential samples «In that was executed by Pedro José Borrell, and inaugurated
Search of the Roots of Dominican Art,» organized by in 1992, and since that date called the «Popular Tower.»
Club Art in 1992 and 1993, and among others «An- In this building, they exhibit and intimately collect the
thology of Santiago’s XX Century Art,» consisting of bulk of its Art Collection.
four sequenced samples in 1996, organized by the San-
tiago Board, showcases in the Town Hall and in Santo In all the territorial branches where Banco Popu-
Domingo with the support of Banco Popular Domini- lar offers its reliable and diverse services, is shown the
cano. This is the first bank sponsoring in New York miraculous icon of the Virgin from Higüey. The Alta-
at the Collective «Contemporary Dominican Art,» The gracia Province and its basilica, become annual route of
Sing Gallery, with works by Gaspar Mario Cruz, Eligio offerings and sponsorship of the banking family headed
Pichardo, Domingo Liz, Silvano Lora, Paul Giudicelli, by charismatic entrepreneur Don Alejandro Grullón
Ramón Oviedo, Peña Defilló and Rincón Mora. The who, incidentally, is the promoter of the collection of
retrospectives were the preamble samples of Gilberto drawings, sculptures, photographs and paintings that
Hernández Ortega, Yoryi Morel, respectively in 1978 summarizes the book «Art Treasures of Banco Popular
and 1979, subsequently adding Jaime Colson, Darío Dominicano,» authored by Jeannette Miller, renowned
Suro, José Vela Zanetti, Silvano Lora, Ramón Oviedo, academic, critic and historian. Marc Van Troostenberghe
Luis Desangles (Sisito), almost all of them with careful is responsible for the photographic reproductions, with
editions and catalogs, plus copious monographs about bilingual edition, printed in full colour in 2001. It is the
artists and national art history. only collection treasured by a private institution that was
made public through a book and sample exhibition held
The crucial year 2000, the border between two cen- at the Museum of Modern Art in 2002.
turies, one that ends and another that is born, drags the
maelstrom of events of recent decades (1980-1990), as The accumulation of Dominican art takes place in
vulnerable as the extension of one single insular junc- a similar fashion as the story of the Popular Financing
tion –own and near– already incorporated to global rela- Group created by Don Alejandro Grullón, considered
tions and universal links. Such confluence takes place in the father of Dominican banking, as private entity and
a country that fluctuates with two economies, that of the foundational milestone that marks the differentiation
agricultural land and the urban industrial and commer- from gubernatorial and foreign banks with branches in
cial one, both dual and contradictory at the same time, the country. It is composed of multi-bank companies,
as the national condition dependent of new neocolonial credit business, real estate, monetary shares, and various
forms. Opulence and social deprivation, conservatism financing services, including institutional policies, the
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