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On the occasion of its XV edition (“The Sublime Essence of Light and Darkness. Concepts of Dualism and Unity in Contemporary Art and Design”, October 18–26, 2025, Fortezza da Basso, Florence), the Florence Biennale pays tribute to Marcelo Mayorga with a dedicated exhibition and the conferral of the “Lorenzo il Magnifico” Lifetime Achievement Award from the President – “In Memoriam”.

Marcelo Mayorga (Buenos Aires, February 2, 1941 – Buenos Aires, March 8, 2012) distinguished himself on the Argentine art scene by combining refined technical virtuosity with a powerful narrative and critical charge. A self-taught artist by vocation, his love for drawing emerged at an early age, as he himself recalled: “When I was six, the teacher asked me to draw a heart... my mother drew its volume... it seemed to come out of the page. Since then I have done nothing else: I draw every day, even without ever showing anything.”

After his debut in solo exhibitions in 1972, he continued to present his work on numerous occasions both in Argentina and abroad. He received prestigious awards, including the Manuel Belgrano Prize for Drawing (third, second, and first prize), prizes in the Santa Fe and Chaco salons, the Grand Prize of Honor at the Salón Nacional, and the Trabucco Prize awarded by the National Academy of Fine Arts.

His production, dominated by a confident line and a refined mastery of chiaroscuro, oscillated between metaphorical realism and biting irony. His works depict emblematic scenes: human figures gathering into anonymous communities, silent architectures, fragile airplanes—symbols of war, social unrest, and historical transitions—often immersed in a poetic penumbra charged with tension.
 

His art was not mere representation, but rather an illustrated “J’accuse” against corruption, indifference, and the violence of contemporary society: a denunciatory drawing that avoided pamphleteering in favour of subdued theatricality and subtle irony.
 

Critical observers, such as Laura Feinsilber, noted in his drawings a “narrative ambiguity,” composed of silences and voids behind suburban perspectives, motionless clothed figures, suspended airplanes, and visual tensions that directly question the viewer.

Among his most important exhibitions was a major retrospective at the Eduardo Sívori Museum (November 2013 – February 2014), which featured around forty works, including previously unseen paintings. The exhibition catalogue, curated by Marta Pérez Temperley (his partner and custodian of his artistic legacy), gathered images, texts, and critical contributions by leading authors such as Laura Feinsilber, Elba Pérez, Blas Vidal, José Ortigueira, among others.

Today his works are preserved in prestigious institutions and international collections: Museo Eduardo Sívori; Museo de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires; Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc (Barcelona); Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna (Rome); Museo de Arte Latinoamericano (Punta del Este, Uruguay); Museo Contemporáneo de Córdoba; Museo Rosa Galisteo de Rodríguez (Santa Fe); Museo Fader (Mendoza); Striped House Museum (Tokyo); the Bencich Collection; Banco Galicia; Banco Quilmes; Istituto Italo-Latino Americano (Rome); Colegio Mayor Argentino (Madrid); University of Essex Museum (UK), among others.

In sum, Marcelo Mayorga remains one of the most significant Argentine draftsmen of the twentieth century, capable of uniting formal perfection with profound ethical and social inquiry. His sharp gaze and masterful technique still make each of his works a focal point for reflection on the human condition.