A landmark publication in Peruvian journalism, the newspaper Última Hora spoke to the general public in slang and specialized in sensational reporting. The fact that Mimuy merited space in the paper says a lot about the exhibition’s controversial nature.
Mimuy, the first “installation” ever presented in Peru, opened on Wednesday, November 3, 1965 in the basement of the IAC (Instituto de Arte Contemporáneo) in Lima. It was the brain child of three young students at the Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería: Mario Acha (the son of the critic, b. 1941), Miguel Malatesta, and Efraín Montero. The idea was to fill one of the most prestigious gallery spaces in the city with art made of recycled objects. The first problem caused by Mimuy flared up before it even opened, when the Bolivian sculptress Marina Núñez del Prado (whose work was on display in the adjoining room) accused the exhibition of being “pornographic.” In order to be able to open the show, the creators had to make certain changes to their work. All that notwithstanding, Mimuy was supported by certain critics, including Juan Acha (1916–95) and Carlos Rodríguez Saavedra (b. 1918).
[For additional information, see in the ICAA digital archive by Carlos Rodríguez Saavedra “Mimuy” (doc. no. 1142462)].