1932 - 2012

“If Jorge Glusberg had not existed, we would have had to invent him.” Mario Robert Álvarez’s opinion was perhaps shared by many who considered Glusberg the greatest promoter of Argentinian architecture and the best champion of his country’s culture. Born and schooled in Buenos Aires, Glusberg was a publisher and professor, but his activities centered on cultural curatorship. He was a founder of the Center for Art and Communication (CAYC) – which he directed from 1968 to his death – and the International Committee of Architectural Critics (CICA), set up in 1978. But his great achievement was the International Architecture Biennial of Buenos Aires, which he created from nothing in 1985 and which, bringing together Latin American architects with professionals from elsewhere, became a leading world architectural event. His engagement with architecture was complemented by his passion for art. He co-directed New York University’s Art Department and was at the helm of Argentina’s National Fine Arts Museum for nine years, during which the crumbling institution became a true catalyst of local culture.