Exploring Chile’s Artistic Avant-Garde: Unveiling the Legacy of Vicente Huidobro and Sara Malvar

Original article: Revisitan el sesgo histórico sobre la vanguardia chilena a través de huellas inéditas

Aesthetic disruptions, bold manifestos, and a radical transformation of artistic language from the early 20th century are back in focus. The exhibition “The Chilean Artistic Avant-Garde: Vicente Huidobro and Sara Malvar” showcases a crucial documentary heritage that connects Chile’s creative pulse with European avant-garde movements such as Cubism and Futurism.

This initiative, organized by the UC Faculty of Letters and the Huidobro-UC Foundation, recovers photographs, press articles, and manuscripts preserved by the university. The epistolary and iconographic journey highlights Huidobro’s significance as the founder of creationism while also renewing focus on the work and critical thinking of Sara Malvar.

Restoring a Missed Link in Visual History

The experiences of both creators in Europe proved pivotal as they returned to Chile, challenging official circuits by founding magazines, alternative groups, and platforms to support emerging talents. In this intersection, Malvar’s contributions take on a dimension that demands reevaluation.

“Sara Malvar must be included in the genealogy of the avant-garde; her work represents a contribution that needs to be clarified with greater prominence and visibility in Latin American art,” emphasizes Patricio Lizama, Dean of Letters UC.

The heritage value of this collection is supported by a catalog of more than 5,200 pieces donated by the Huidobro Foundation in 2022. The meticulous work of UC Libraries has enabled the digitization and integration of bilingual descriptions enriched by academic specialists, ensuring global access to these documentary treasures.

Territorial Dissemination and Shared Memory

Beyond the digital archive and the permanent installations at the Centro de Extensión de Casa Central, the traveling exhibition seeks to decentralize knowledge about key figures in national culture.

“This exhibition demonstrates how the university preserves, disseminates, and values key creators, as this heritage should belong to the entire country,” points out Lizama.

Exhibition Coordinates

• Exhibition “The Chilean Artistic Avant-Garde: Vicente Huidobro and Sara Malvar”.
Available until August 31, 2026. Open Monday to Friday, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Hall Universitario San Joaquín. Hall Universitario Building, first floor, San Joaquín UC Campus. Avenida Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul, Santiago.
Free entrance.

Source: Extension.uc.cl.
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