CHILEAN ARTIST ON BRIEF VISIT TO CITY

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29002, 17 September 1959, Page 11

CHILEAN ARTIST ON BRIEF VISIT TO CITY

Taking advantage of a shipping delay at Lyttelton Mr Francisco Otta, of Santiago, Chile, spent the day in Christchurch trying to learn something about contemporary art in New Zealand. Mr Otta, an expert on contemporary art, is a passenger on the United States ship Pioneer Cove. He is on his way to Australia where he will spend abut two months holding exhibitions and lecturing on contemporary art in Latin America. He will then go to Japan on a similar mission. He was due to give his first lecture in Sydney on Tuesday. The Minister of Education in Chile has asked him to inquire into art education in the countries he visits. The Ministry of Education has published a book by Mr Otta on contemporary art. Last year he spent six months in the United States. He had a grant from the State Department. When he returned to Chile he lectured and wrote on #vhat he had seen. Two years ago he spent some months in Germany and three years ago he was in Ecuador.

“In that country they have the House of Culture, the only organisation of its kind I know of,” said Mr Otta. “It is supported by

the State which puts a small levy on some exports to get the money. The House of Culture invites artists, actors and authors. It has its own printing and publishing department. It is semiofficial but independent.” Mr Otta writes articles for "Las Ultimas Noticias” (The Latest News), a Santiago daily newspaper with a circulation of about 80,000. He also writes for the weekly magazine “Zig-Zag” and the English language weekly newspaper “South Pacific Mail” which is run by an Australian, Mr E. Bannon.

“It is only by accident that I am seeing anything of New Zealand at all. When I booked my passage on the Pioneer Cove it was not scheduled to call at any ports in this country," Mr Otta said.

“I am very happy to have the chance to visit Christchurch for I may be able to learn something about art here and I may meet some local artists. New Zealand and Chile are practically neighbours yet we know hardly anything about each other.” Mr Otta carries paintings with him on his trips and holds exhibitions. One is due to open in

a Sydney gallery on September 30. When he was told that there was an exhibition of New Zealand contemporary art in the Christchurch Public Library he quickly sought directors and hurried away to see it before going on a scenic tour. He is studying Japanese while he is aboard ship. He does not want to be a superficial tourist but wants to learn as much as possible of his special subject in each country he visits so that he can lecture and write about it when he returns home.