{"id":525522,"date":"2026-01-18T16:39:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T16:39:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/525522\/"},"modified":"2026-01-18T16:39:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T16:39:11","slug":"sdma-looks-at-alfredo-castaneda-a-true-champion-of-surrealism-san-diego-union-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/525522\/","title":{"rendered":"SDMA looks at Alfredo Casta\u00f1eda, a true champion of Surrealism \u2013 San Diego Union-Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the Curator\u2019s Words\u00a0<\/strong>is an occasional series that takes a critical look at current exhibitions through the eyes of curators.<\/p>\n

Some exhibitions start with personal connections, and in the case of the San Diego Museum of Art\u2019s Alfredo Casta\u00f1eda exhibition, it was a visit by the artist\u2019s family that led to the current exhibition \u201cAlfredo Casta\u00f1eda: Beyond Surrealism,\u201d a monumental assemblage of the artist\u2019s work that\u2019s making its debut at the Balboa Park museum.<\/p>\n

Michael Brown, the museum\u2019s senior curator of European art, took some time to talk about the artist \u2014 who died in 2010 at the age of 72 \u2014 and the exhibit, which is on display through March 1.<\/p>\n

Q: Alfredo Casta\u00f1eda has never had a museum retrospective in the United States, which is surprising. How did SDMA land this exhibition?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A:<\/strong> Casta\u00f1eda has been a pivotal figure in modern Latin American art in the United States since his first solo exhibitions in New York in the 1980s, organized by renowned gallerist Mary-Anne Martin. However, he\u2019s never had a true retrospective at an American museum until now. We are fortunate to be hosting the first retrospective of his work at a U.S. art museum thanks in large part to the Casta\u00f1eda family, who visited the San Diego Museum of Art nearly three years ago. From that first touchpoint, the project gained further momentum thanks to the support of our board of trustees.<\/p>\n

We began by locating and negotiating loans of Casta\u00f1eda\u2019s best works with the generous support of the artist\u2019s widow, Hortensia Casta\u00f1eda, and his daughter, Ibiza, who oversee the artist\u2019s estate in Madrid. As enthusiasm for the project grew, collectors in both Southern California and Mexico pledged their support with loans of paintings.<\/p>\n

Instrumental in the success of the exhibition was the engagement of the special guest curator of the show, Mexico City-based critic Raymundo Silva. Working with the SDMA team, Raymundo helped secure impressive loans and interpreted the artist\u2019s work in the gallery labels and in a powerful essay in the beautiful exhibition catalog (published by SDMA and Ediciones El Viso, Madrid).<\/p>\n

\""Memento<\/a>\u201cMemento for an Exile\u201d (\u201cRecordatorio para un exilado\u201d), a 1989 painting by Alfredo Casta\u00f1eda is part of an exhibition at the San Diego Museum of Art titled \u201cAlfredo Casta\u00f1eda: Beyond Surrealism.\u201d (Germ\u00e1n Romero Mart\u00ednez \/ Alex Michajlowski)<\/p>\n

Q: Why is Casta\u00f1eda an important artist in the Surrealist movement?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A:<\/strong> Casta\u00f1eda was a truly international artist, whose experience amidst the modernist movements in both Mexico and Spain inform his artistic practice. As familiar with Salvador Dal\u00ed as he was with Frida Kahlo or Diego Rivera, Casta\u00f1eda built his own practice independent of any one movement. He was particularly close friends with the now-famous British-Mexican artist Leonora Carrington, and their families developed a tradition of sharing meals and conversation, which we explore in \u201cSobremesa,\u201d an experience that extends the exhibition and invites community participation in a nearby upstairs gallery.<\/p>\n

Q: If a viewer has never seen a Casta\u00f1eda work before, what should he\/she look for? Are there techniques or characteristics that say, \u201cYes, this is by Alfredo Casta\u00f1eda.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

A:<\/strong> Casta\u00f1eda developed alter-egos in his paintings, many of which verge on self-portraiture. Once you recognize him, it\u2019s unmistakable. Especially in works such as \u201cGrowing Up,\u201d the visitor can see the artist\u2019s idea of himself age. Casta\u00f1eda was an avid reader, so visitors will find his art is rich with references to poetry, the Bible and folklore. Many of his works also reference the history of European painting, from Leonardo to Vel\u00e1zquez and Zurbar\u00e1n. One of the inspiring things about hosting the show in San Diego is that visitors have a chance to see some of our great collection of early Spanish and Italian paintings in close proximity to the galleries devoted to Casta\u00f1eda.<\/p>\n

\"Here<\/a>Here Is the Center\u201d (\u201cAqu\u00ed es el Centro\u201d), a 1984 work by Alfredo Casta\u00f1eda, is part of a current exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Art titled \u201cAlfredo Casta\u00f1eda: Beyond Surrealism.\u201d (Philipp Scholz Rittermann)<\/p>\n

Q: What is your favorite piece in this exhibition, and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A:<\/strong> I have several favorites. One is \u201cHere is the Center\u201d (\u201cAqu\u00ed es el centro\u201d), a visual enigma that suggests we are constantly missing the point by spending too much time and energy on things that really don\u2019t matter in the grand scheme. It\u2019s brilliant and full of humility \u2014 the artist is just as guilty as we are! Another favorite is \u201cNuestro sacrificio,\u201d the retelling of the gripping story of Abraham and Isaac, from the Book of Genesis, which Casta\u00f1eda reimagines as his own inner struggle. This is a story that helped define the Renaissance. How could a father sacrifice his child, or worse, what kind of God would expect him to do so? Casta\u00f1eda shows the viewer a ghostly hand coming down from the heavens (look closely or you might miss it), which puts a stop to the sacrifice and reassuringly leads our eyes downward to the lamb at the base of the painting. As with the best Renaissance or Baroque paintings, the viewer is emotionally involved, invited in to contemplate the universal idea of parental love and sacrifice. In the same way, the entire gallery space invites us into the thoughtful and tranquil world of Alfredo Casta\u00f1eda.<\/p>\n

\""The<\/a>\u201cThe Absence\u201d (\u201cLa Ausencia\u201d), a 1977 oil on canvas by Alfredo Casta\u00f1eda is part of a current exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Art titled \u201cAlfredo Casta\u00f1eda: Beyond Surrealism.\u201d (Gary Payne)
\n\u201cAlfredo Casta\u00f1eda: Beyond Surrealism\u201d<\/p>\n

When:<\/strong> Through March 1, 2026<\/p>\n

Where:<\/strong> San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, San Diego<\/p>\n

Admission:<\/strong> $20, general admission, $15, for seniors 65 and over; free for youth under 17<\/p>\n

Phone:<\/strong> 619-232-7931<\/p>\n

Online:<\/strong> sdmart.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the Curator\u2019s Words\u00a0is an occasional series that takes a critical look at current exhibitions through the eyes…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":525523,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5134],"tags":[5229,8159,1582,276,171,1370,3549,3550,7264,1072,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,5548],"class_list":{"0":"post-525522","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-balboa-park","10":"tag-ca","11":"tag-california","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-latest-headlines","14":"tag-san-diego","15":"tag-san-diego-county","16":"tag-sandiego","17":"tag-things-to-do","18":"tag-united-states","19":"tag-united-states-of-america","20":"tag-unitedstates","21":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","22":"tag-us","23":"tag-usa","24":"tag-visual-arts"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115917092635919165","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/525522","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=525522"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/525522\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/525523"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=525522"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=525522"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=525522"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}