Luis Molinari

Who was Luis Molinari?

Luis Molinari was a member of VAN, a group of informal constructivist artists founded by Enrique Tábara and Aníbal Villacís.

Molinari began his artistic career focused on formalism, but soon discovered the works of Vasarely and was inspired by geometric forms and their rich optical effects. From 1951-1960, Molinari lived and painted in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 1960, Molinari traveled to Paris, France, where he began work with the Group de Recherche d'Art Visuel. Molinari lived in Paris from 1960 to 1966. In 1963, Molinari exhibited his painting La Cuna de Mangle at the Paris Biennial at the Museum of Modern Art. In 1964, Molinari took a two month trip to the United States to study the artworks in museums of major US cities. Intrigued by pop art in America, he saw its infinite possibilities.

In 1966, Molinari moved back to Ecuador with the sole purpose of acquiring a visa to move to the United States. During his time back in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Molinari reconnected with old colleagues: Enrique Tábara, Aníbal Villacís, Leon Ricaurte, Gilberto Almeida, Oswaldo Moreno and Guillermo Muñoz and began working with their group VAN.