Modern Languages

On the Politics of Mixed-Media Representation: Argentine Artist Graciela Sacco's UK Legacy

Overview

Dr Clara Garavelli's British Academy/Leverhulme Trust-funded project explores the international legacy of Argentine artist Graciela Sacco, with a particular focus on her activities in the UK. The project addresses a significant gap in Anglo-Saxon literature by highlighting Sacco's underrepresented presence in English-language scholarship.

Graciela Sacco (1956–2017) was one of the most influential Argentine artists of her generation. Her work holds a crucial place in contemporary aesthetic and political debates within the art world, yet her contributions remain largely overlooked in English-language discourse. Sacco represented Argentina at major international biennials, including Shanghai (2004), Venice (2001), Havana (1997 and 2000), Mercosur (1997), and São Paulo (1996). She received numerous awards and honours, including the Konex Awards (2002, 2012, and posthumously in 2022). Her works are housed in prominent international collections, including the Centre Pompidou (Paris), Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid), the Bronx Museum of the Arts (New York), Frac Lorraine (Metz), and the Microsoft Art Collection (Washington, D.C.).

Sacco's unique mixed-media techniques—particularly her pioneering use of heliography—challenge traditional artistic media and provoke critical discussions around the representation of human emotion and experience. As a historically neglected figure, Sacco's case provides insight into the systemic marginalization of female artists from the Global South. This project aims to document and analyse her little-known UK legacy, focusing on the politics of formal experimentation, and the mechanisms of production and reception. It also supports the preservation and dissemination of Sacco's archive.

Dr Garavelli is also the co-executor of Sacco's estate. In this role, she advises institutions worldwide on acquisitions, exhibition strategies, and curatorial practices related to Sacco's work. She regularly curates exhibitions, collaborates with the Archivo IIAC, and contributes to the preservation and accessibility of Sacco's archive. Through lectures, seminars, and workshops, she engages with artists, researchers, and the public, fostering greater awareness of Sacco's contribution to Argentina's national patrimony and contemporary art globally.

Currently, Garavelli is developing a YouTube channel aimed at showcasing rare and previously unseen materials. This platform will offer broader access to Sacco’s work and underscore its significance within Argentina’s artistic and cultural heritage and the wider global history of contemporary art.

Publications

Garavelli's published works on Sacco include:

  • Garavelli, C. (forthcoming), 'An Iconography of Transit and Resistance: Graciela Sacco's Mail Art', catalogue Transgresoras. Mail Art and Messages, 1960s-2020s, California Museum of Photography.
  • Garavelli, C. (2025), Exhibition catalogue, Ubicua Gallery, Where I Live: Argentine Art, May-June 2025.
  • Garavelli, C. (2023), 'Bocanada (Graciela Sacco, 1993-2023): Thirty Years of "Interferences"', Alternautas, vol. 10, No. 2, 4-32, DOI: https://doi.org/10.31273/an.v10i2.1437; https://journals.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/alternautas/article/view/1437
  • Garavelli, C. (2022), Exhibition catalogue, Ubicua Gallery, Waiting for the Barbarians: Graciela Sacco, July-August 2022.
  • Garavelli, C. (2018), exhibition catalogue, Mágico primitiva: Graciela Sacco y Rosario, Rosario: Secretaría de Cultura de la Municipalidad de Rosario.
  • Garavelli, C. (2017), 'Inteligente, Provocadora, y divertida', La Capital, 3 December, p. 4.

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