Nemesio Antúnez is a Chilean artist who created in 1956 the first and one of the most iconic printmaking workshops  in Chile, Taller 99. He was William Hayter’s student, from whom he learned the printing technique and collaborative work as a way of creating art. Antúnez was also the director of the Bellas Artes Museum of Chile, 1969-1974/1990-1993, transforming culture by democratization of the arts within the museum, television and radio. Fierce advocate for democracy, he fought the Chilean dictatorship through his art and community activism.

 

This project stems from the idea of recuperating his memory and recording the value of his work throughout Chile’s twentieth century. In 2013, Taller 99 and I started a research project of his life through archives available in Taller 99 and national museums. In the quest to capture his essence and cover the extent of his work, a series of interviews were carried out. This interviews became the core of the project, having colleagues, national authorities, family and friends participating.

 

Twenty-five interviews became the core of a book published on December 2020 called “Cuando conocí a Nemesio…” by Ximena Vial Lecaros. A book that invites you on a journey through the memory of those who knew Nemesio Antúnez, a fundamental actor of Chile’s art scene in the twentieth century.