Iván Tovar: The Dominican artistic legacy shines in New York with his new publication
The Iván Tovar Foundation, under the presidency of Daniela Tovar Castillo and the firm patronage of Héctor José Rizek Sued, held the official presentation of the publication “Iván Tovar: Le Retour” in New York City. This book, published by Turner, serves as the literary and critical complement to the homonymous exhibition that is part of the official program of the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale.
The event, held at El Museo del Barrio, coincided with a vibrant contemporary art fair season in the Big Apple, including prominent spaces such as The Armory Show and the Independent 20th Century. This privileged environment allowed for a deeper exploration of the Dominican artist’s global relevance and his impact on surrealism.
“Iván Tovar: Le Retour” represents the confirmation of the return of my father’s work to the Venice Biennale, where he participated in 1972, and it is also the reunion of his creative universe with an art scene that recognizes the uniqueness and strength of his legacy.
Daniela Tovar Castillo, president of the Iván Tovar Foundation
A deep analysis of surrealism
During the presentation, curator Christian Viveros-Fauné highlighted how the exhibition repositions the painter’s transatlantic trajectory, connecting his formative years in the Dominican Republic with his period of consolidation in Paris. The book, which features a bilingual edition, includes specialized essays by figures such as Iván de la Nuez and Suset Sánchez Sánchez, in addition to an exhaustive biography by Lilian Carrasco.
- Coordination and management: Under the direction of Olga Alba and edited by Omar-Pascual Castillo.
- Content: 128 cloth-bound pages exploring the work from 1960 to 2012.
- Availability: From January 2027 in international museum shops and by pre-order on the Turner publishing house website.
Presence at the Venice Biennale
The exhibition accompanying this launch is installed at the Ex Istituto Idrografico – Museo Storico Navale in Venice. With museography by Raúl Morilla and Olga Valdez, the exhibition showcases eighteen key paintings and three sculptures from important private collections, consolidating the Iván Tovar Foundation’s effort to protect and disseminate Dominican cultural heritage.
The project has been supported by key entities such as Banreservas, Banco Popular Dominicano, Grupo Puntacana, Brugal, Grupo SID, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Italy, reaffirming the national commitment to preserving the artistic legacy of Tovar, who was recognized as a universal surrealist by international critics.
