Tunga and the School of Architecture of Valparaíso, Chile (1960–1970): a view on networks and poetic exchanges through letters

Abstract

This study investigates the poetic networks and exchanges between the Brazilian artist Tunga (1952–2016) and the School of Architecture of the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (PUCV). The research focuses on the 1960s and 1970s, a period during which Tunga, accompanying his father, the poet Gerardo Mello Mourão, came into contact with the Chilean school, known for its pedagogical approach integrating architecture, visual arts, and poetry. The study is primarily based on the analysis of letters received by Tunga from founding professors of the school, Alberto Cruz, Godofredo Iommi, Manuel Casanueva, and José Vial Armstrong, supplemented by the artist’s manuscripts and interviews. The methodology combines the analysis of primary sources with theoretical frameworks drawn from intellectual biography (Dosse), biographemes (Barthes), and actor-network theory (Latour; Lepetit), enabling the identification and mapping of key interlocutors. The analysis demonstrates that these relationships extended beyond Tunga’s youth, sustaining affective, pedagogical, and poetic exchanges through the 1980s and 2000s. Through the correspondence, it becomes evident that the interaction with the School of Valparaíso constituted an essential fragment of Tunga’s creative trajectory, underscoring the importance of formative experiences for understanding his artistic path from an expanded perspective.