Since 1963, the Museum of Modern Art of Bogotá has worked to investigate, preserve and promote the understanding of the Collection and all the manifestations of modern and contemporary art in Colombia and internationally. It offers a pluricultural, dynamic and innovative space, which gives audiences a meaningful experience around the art world.

In addition to this, the museum has developed a strong learning department, working every day to bring the museum closer to bigger and diverse audiences, and promoting experimentation and understanding of the artistic practice.

The museum is grounded on the conviction that art and culture are fundamental pieces in the development of the country. Our activities aim to generate knowledge around art, contributing to enhance the cultural and artistic environment of the nation. Some of these activities include the exhibition of renowned national and international artists; discussion panels with personalities from various disciplines; creative workshops; talks with curators, artists, scholars and cultural managers; film projections, tours and special events.

The Museum’s happenings in the past year mark a new era in its history: in April 2016, the Board of Directors named sculptor and museum manager Claudia Hakim the new Director of the institution, a title held by Gloria Zea for forty-six years. June 2017 saw the launch of the two books, “La Coleccion,” which offer the opportunity to learn about the museum’s collection, its most emblematic artworks and their chronological history.

The new director’s objectives are to internationalize the Museum, strengthen its pedagogical practices and mediation processes, restore the Friends of the Museum Association (Red MAMBO), and enhance the building’s spaces. To that effect, 2017 began with a renovation of the Marta Traba Gallery, which restored the original space designed by the architect Rogelio Salmona. The new spaces were revealed to the public within the framework of the exhibition titled “From Line to Space,” with works by the artists Olga de Amaral, Jim Amaral and Ricardo Cárdenas.

In November 1962, the renowned art historian and critic Marta Traba assumed management of the Museum and raised the need for the creation of an institution for the dissemination of visual arts in Bogota. In this spirit, the Museum of Modern Art commenced its activities in February 1963. Work within the first few months consisted in setting a plan of action and raising awareness in the media and the public about the importance of a Museum for the cultural progress of the city.

The MAMBO’s current building, located in the cultural and historical center of Bogota, was designed by architect Rogelio Salmona.

In 1969 Gloria Zea assumed management of the Museum, which continued to operate at the University until June 3, 1970, when an act of protest left the museum exposed to insecurity. The University failed to assume responsibility and, lacking safeguards, the Director withdrew from the premises the 80 artworks that are included in the Collection today.

The new management prioritized three objectives for the Museum: to manage its financial support for one year, immediately obtain a provisional premises and begin the project of realizing a permanent premises. The Bavarian Building housed the new provisional venue, where exhibitions by major Colombian and international artists were presented. Before moving to its permanent location, the Museum conducted business in the District Planetarium, where Auguste Rodin’s exhibition was presented in 1971. The cultural and historical center of the city became the site of the museum’s official premises. The first phase of its construction was inaugurated in 1979, and construction ended in 1985. The building had four floors, six galleries, an auditorium or cinema, project gallery, two workshops for the development of educational activities, a basement to house the permanent collection, library, bookshop, restaurant and administrative offices within a space of about 5,000 square meters. The 3,633 artworks by significant Colombian and international artists continue to be part of the permanent collection today.

Previous exhibitions have explored the different perspectives of the modern and contemporary world. These included retrospectives by Colombian, Latin American and international masters as well as seminars and theory groups. Some of the reknown artists that have been present are:

Alexander Calder, Jean Dubuffet, Louise Nevelson, Jesús Soto, Alberto Giacometti, Richard Smith, Bernard Venet, Niki de Saint Phalle, Paul Klee, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, Wilhelm de Kooning, Francis Bacon, Karel Appel, Julius Bissier, Wifredo Lam, Roberto Matta, Francisco Toledo, Joaquín Sorolla, Rufino Tamayo, Diego Rivera and Pablo Picasso, among others.

Artists at the national level featured at the Museum include Andrés de Santa María, Marco Tobón Mejía, Alejandro Obregón, Edgar Negret, Ignacio Gómez Jaramillo, Enrique Grau, Carlos Rojas, Roberto Páramo, Rafael Echeverri, María de la Paz Jaramillo, Álvaro Barrios, Leo Matiz, Oscar Muñoz, Darío Morales, Carlos Salas, Nadín Ospina, John Castles, Carlos Jacanamijoy, Hernán Díaz, José Alejandro Restrepo, Catalina Mejía, Rodrigo Facundo, Ruven Afanador and David Manzur, among others.The museum has also featured collective exhibitions, such as the ‘Fall and Recover Performance Festival’, ‘Bogotá: Beauty and Horror’, ‘Mutinous Mother Earth’ and the periodic exhibition of the Museum’s Collection.