White Silence
White Silence (Silencio en Blanco) is a mixed-media composition by artist Marcelo Bonevardi (1929-1994). The work was selected by the United Nations Arts Committee from an exhibition of paintings by contemporary Argentinean artists. The exhibition entitled Ten Argentine Artists at the United Nations displayed art works by Luis Barragán, Ary Brizzi, Marcelo Bonevardi, Miguel Dávila, Raquel Forner, Eduardo Mac Entyre, Pérez Celis, Rogelio Polesello, Guillermo Thiemer, and Miguel A. Vidal. The artworks were meant to stop life’s repetitiveness, bring awareness, and inspire dialogues. Of the ten selected artworks, the spectator-jury chose one – Silencio en Blanco - to remain a gift at the United Nations.
Marcelo Bonevardi is considered one of the most innovative artists of his generation. A native of Argentina, Bonevardi spent most of his career in New York City and his work has been collected by the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. He was influenced by the Avant-Garde practices of abstraction and primitivism. He created a pictorial and symbolic language to express his interests in myth and ritual. Bonevardi is known for his shaped canvases that combine elements of painting and sculpture, which exemplifies his training and interest in architecture.
Marcelo Bonevardi’s mixed media assemblage White Silence won first prize for the exhibition of 1973, Ten Argentine Artists at the United Nations. The artwork is permanently installed at the United Nations.