Museum of Solidarity (1971-1973) In 1971, Spanish art critic José María Moreno Galván proposed the creation of an art museum in support of the government of the
Unidad Popular. After the project was approved by Salvador Allende himself, the
Comité Internacional de Solidaridad Artística con Chile (CISAC) (International Committee of Artistic Solidarity with Chile) was formed, bringing together national and international intellectuals such as the Brazilian intellectual
Mário Pedrosa and the Italian
Carlo Levi. Allende call to artists worldwide through an open letter, and as a result of CISAC's efforts, artworks began to arrive promptly from different parts of the world between 1972 and 1973, totaling 650 artistic pieces, including paintings, prints, sculptures, drawings, tapestries, and photographs. Artists like
Joan Miró,
Roberto Matta,
Lygia Clark, and
Frank Stella sent their contributions during this period. After the
coup d'état on September 11, 1973, the museum was closed, its managers suffered exile, and part of the collection was lost. Some pieces were stored in the
Santiago Museum of Contemporary Art, while others ended up at the
National Museum of Fine Arts.
Museum of Solidarity Salvador Allende (1990-) With the
return to democracy in Chile, the Salvador Allende Foundation began the recovery of works from the collection in 1990. In September 1991, the Museum of Solidarity was reopened at the
National Museum of Fine Arts at the same time that the Solidarity Collection was transferred from the museum to the national state. ==Building==