From May 18 through May 21 Venezuela will host the First National Congress of Art History, Theory and Criticism to celebrate the legacy of scholar Simón Noriega (1940-2014). Organized by the Art History Department of the School of Letters that is part of the Faculty of Humanities and Education of the Universidad de los Andes, the event aims at broadening, debating and comparing information and knowledge with professionals in the field and persons interested in the various themes that pertain to the History of Art.
The Congress invites participants to discuss and contribute to Noriega's research. The subjects for discussion will be framed by the how and why of the research approaches contained in his historiography, his theoretic formulations and the manner in which these serve not solely as legacy but also as a significant contribution to the History of Art in Venezuela.
Plenaries and Roundtables
a) Four plenary lectures, given by four special guests, centered on the work of Dr. Simón Noriega, its importance and relevance today, and its role in the academic world.
b) Four general roundtables based on pre-established papers to further develop the following subjects:
I. History of Colonial Art and Architecture in Venezuela/The Contributions of Dr. Simón Noriega's Writings.
II. History, Historiography and Criticism of Art in Venezuela in the 20th Century/ The Contributions of Dr. Simón Noriega's Writings.
III. History and Historiography, Theory, Methodology and Criticism of Art: A Global Vision of these Disciplines/The Contributions of Dr. Simón Noriega's Writings.
IV. General Discussions Centered on the History and Historiography of Art in Venezuela.
Noriega was a researcher, founder of the Art History Department of the ULA and educator of several generations of art historians in Venezuela. He authored several written works on historiography and art theory and criticism, including: El Carácter de la Arquitectura Colonial en Venezuela (The Nature of Colonial Architecture in Venezuela, 1975), La Crítica del Arte en Venezuela (Art Criticism in Venezuela, 1979, 2011), La Pintura de Héctor Poleo (The Paintings of Héctor Poleo, 1983), El Realismo Social en Venezuela 1940-1950 (Social Realism in Venezuela, 1989), Ideas sobre Arte en Venezuela en el Siglo XIX (Ideas about Art in Venezuela in the 19th Century, 1993), Historia del Arte. Problemas y Métodos (History of Art. Challenges and Methods, 1997), Las Artes Visuales en Venezuela desde la Colonia hasta el Siglo XX (Visual Arts in Venezuela from Colonial Times to the 20th Century, 2000), Venezuela en sus Artes Visuales (Venezuela through Its Visual Arts, 2001), Al Filo de los Años Veinte. Exposiciones y Crítica de la Pintura en Venezuela (On the Threshold of the 1920s. Exhibitions and Criticism of Painting in Venezuela, 2002), Arte e Historia del Arte (Art and the History of Art, 2007), y Arte ¿y Eso Qué Es? (Art, What is that?, 2008).