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Antonio Caro not only was he the great master of conceptual art In colombia; He was a locomotive, the great rebel and the great example for his entire generation and for two or three more generations. its Colombia, written with the letters of Coca Cola, is a classic of Latin American art. It is a reference as great and as powerful as the works of Botero and it has been several times on the cover of specialized magazines and exhibited in places such as the Georges Pompidou.
(We recommend you read: The courageous and exemplary struggle of Valentina Arbeláez for life)
Caro studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the National University and entered with one of the best admission scores of all time, but to compensate for that historical outburst – according to himself – he took it upon himself to be one of its worst students and ended up as college dropout. “They should never have admitted me,” he said, “I’m blind and I don’t have any fine motor skills.”
His works were conceptual. His accomplice, in his early years, was another great rebel of Colombian art: Bernardo Salcedo. “He completed my education,” Caro said. In 1976 his ‘Colombia’ was a scandal in the National Hall. He received an honorable mention and his name began to sound everywhere; he was a cool kid who made noise just by his presence. And with his slaps.
A few years after his ‘Colombia’, he was not admitted to a National Salon and, to make amends, the Belarca gallery invited him to exhibit. The gallery was opposite the National Museum. Caro filled the walls of the Gallery with an eloquent ‘Defend your talent’. At some point he said goodbye to his guests in the middle of the inauguration, he went to the Museum, where the National Hall was also inaugurated and asked the photographers to follow him because he was going to do a plastic action, and his undisputed talent closed the defense with a sonorous slap to the art critic Germán Rubiano for not having admitted him to the Salon.
Antonio Caro with his famous work ‘Colombia’, in letters of the brand ‘Coca Cola’.
But beyond Caro’s stories –which would make for an adventure novel–, her work has an unforgettable touch of genius. Your ‘Everything is very expensive’ will be present and valid for several generations, or do you think that something will ever be very cheap? Because Caro will always be there. His last work was a beautiful performance at the Casas Riegner Gallery.
He made a silkscreen with the blue of the laundry soap with the legend ‘Soap blessed soap’. He wrote it on a showcase in the gallery and, outside, with soap and a hose, he invited everyone to shake hands with him. I gave it to him.
Antonio Caro when he prepared one of his last ‘performances’ at the Casas Riegner gallery in Bogotá.
Courtesy of the artist
The causes of his death are not yet known, but the last time we saw each other was a few weeks ago due to an invitation from him to make a talk for YouTube that was recorded at Casas Riegner. He maintained his good humor, his usual heartburn, but he looked slow and wore slippers because his feet were swollen. Antonio was unapproachable and his private life always had an aura of mystery. And asking about his health would be something like an irreparable offense.
His mortal remains will be veiled in the Casas Riegner gallery in Bogotá.
His death is a terrible blow to Colombian art. Long live, Caro!
FERNANDO GÓMEZ ECHEVERRI
EDITOR OF CULTURE OF THE TIME
