Carla Stellweg, an influential curator and writer who played a pivotal role in transforming Mexican contemporary art during a key period of the country’s history, passed away on Monday, October 20, at her residence in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Her death at the age of 83 was confirmed by her son, George Stellweg, a writer. Stellweg was instrumental in bringing Latin American, Caribbean, and Latine artists to global attention, intertwining her work with activism for women’s rights, class issues, and institutional challenges.
One of Stellweg’s most celebrated accomplishments was co-founding and editing Artes Visuales, a bilingual contemporary arts journal at the Museo de Arte Moderno (MAM) in Mexico City from 1973 to 1981. Despite operating within a state-sponsored publication under President Luis Echeverría, Artes Visuales embraced experimental and political art in what Stellweg described as “subliminal” ways. The journal covered diverse topics, such as artists’ views on the Panama Canal and early examinations of Chicano artists.
Born in 1942 in Bandung, Indonesia, Stellweg and her family were detained in a Japanese camp during WWII. She later studied in the Netherlands before relocating to Mexico in 1958, where she immersed herself in the works of José Gorostiza and Alfonso Reyes. Her career in the arts began in the mid-1960s as an assistant curator to Fernando Gamboa, leading Mexico’s presence at events like Expo 67 and the 1968 Venice Biennale. Stellweg’s bold curatorial choices sparked debates and defined her as a fearless figure in the art world.
After Artes Visuales was abruptly closed, Stellweg moved to New York City in 1982, turning her Soho apartment into a hub for Latin-American art discourse. She continued to support Latin-American artists and co-founded the Stellweg-Seguy Gallery in 1983. In 1986, Stellweg became chief curator at the Museum of Contemporary Hispanic Art, later establishing her gallery on Houston Street, where she showcased artists like Ana Mendieta and Luis Camnitzer.
Stellweg’s extensive contributions are memorialized by numerous institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art and Stanford University. An exhibition on Artes Visuales, curated by Harper Montgomery with ISLAA, is currently on display at Hunter College’s Bertha and Karl Leubsdorf Gallery in Manhattan until December 13. Friends and colleagues remember her as a “visionary,” with her impact on art and its discourse being profoundly felt across the globe.
