Christie's Latin American Sale in May 2013 will include a selection of works donated to the creation of an endowment for the Americas Society's Visual Arts Department

The auction will include a selection of works donated to the Americas Society that will be offered in conjunction with the Latin American sale with all proceeds to benefit the Society’s dynamic and expanding Visual Arts Department through the creation of an endowment for its programs.

The Benefit Auction will include approximately 30 works in both the Evening and Day sales at Christie’s, and will feature such established Latin American artists as Carlos Cruz-Diez (Physichromie 1601 from 2009) and Alejandro Obregón (Recuerdo de Trentón from 1979), as well as contemporary artists like Luis Fernando Roldán (Rebbilib, 2012). Cruz-Diez’s work beautifully exemplifies how the artist employs line and color to create an optical illusion that challenges viewer perception while Obregon’s piece, a work from the period when he was living in Cartagena, exhibits a true mastery of color and gesture.

In contrast, Roldán's work considers the ephemeral nature of materials and structure through netting, which suggests the human condition. In the past 40 years, the Americas Society has played a unique role in exploring the cultural evolution during the postwar period in Latin America by examining artistic platforms via a comprehensive visual arts exhibition program. It has been committed to broadening the awareness of groundbreaking artistic approaches and risks amongst its followers by presenting rigorously curated shows.

We are delighted to announce that Patricia Phelps de Cisneros has agreed to act as Honorary Chair of the Americas Society Benefit Art Auction, with Sharon Schultz Simpson and Carlos Cruz-Diez serving as CoChairs of the auction, working in conjunction with Susan Segal, President and CEO of the Americas Society, and Gabriela Rangel, Director and Chief Curator of the Americas Society Visual Arts Gallery.

Virgilio Garza, Christie's Head of Latin American department, said: “We are honored to partner with the Americas Society, an institution with such a distinguished history of cultivating due appreciation for the cultural heritage of North and South America, for an auction that will benefit their vibrant visual arts exhibition program.”