This text provides basic information to anyone who would like to know more about the approach derived by the Colombian artist, Álvaro Barrios (b. 1945) from key works of Marcel Duchamp (1897?1968); among others, one that stands out is Sueños con Marcel Duchamp. This series is made up of 69 works with text in which the artist, in addition to freely interpreting Duchamp’s reading of art, displays his knowledge of art history. After taking his basic art training at the Escuela de Bellas Artes [School of Fine Arts] in Barranquilla, Barrios studied art history at the Università di Peruggia (Italy). In principle, each text in the series Sueños con Marcel Duchamp sets up a conversation with works of various artists from a range of periods: Soñé que el cuadro Ofrenda ajada de Paul Klee daba una gran fiesta de disfraces para los otros cuadros abstractos [I dreamed that Paul Klee’s painting, Worn Offering gave a big costume party for the other Abstract paintings]; la pintura Arco negro de Kandinsky se disfrazó de Pequeña soledaden el centro de los soles de Francis Picabia [Kandinsky’s painting, Black Arch, was disguised as Francis Picabia’s (Petite solitude au milieu des soleils) A Little Solitude in the Midst of Suns]; Prismas eléctricos de Sonya Delaunay se disfrazó de Casa roja entre los árboles de Marcel Duchamp [Sonya Delaunay’sElectric Prismswas disguised as Marcel Duchamp’s (Maison rouge dans les pommiers) Red House Among Apple Trees]; Sin título de Mothrwell [sic] se disfrazó de Tengo algo de comer para ti en la cocina, querida. No tengo hambre, mamá! Por favor, lo que yo quiero es irme a mi cuarto de Lichtenstein [Motherwell’swork Untitled was disguised as Lichtenstein’s, I have something for you to eat in the kitchen, dear... I’m not hungry, Mother. Please, I just want to go to my room!].
Based on its use of text, and the various reinterpretations it makes of Duchamp’s work, this work has been considered highly important among Barrios’s conceptual approaches. It arose from other works along these lines, such as the Grabados populares [Popular Prints]. As María Mercedes Carranza (1945−2003) clarifies in her text, Barrios, who had already been working on the approach of Grabados populares since 1974, decided to broaden his homage to Duchamp after participating in a new development of that series. The occasion was a celebration in memory of the French artist, published in the supplement of the Diario del Caribe, ten years after his death in 1978.