Osvaldo Salerno

orn in 1952 in Asunción, Paraguay, this artist is a prominent figure in the fields of visual arts, graphic design, museography, and cultural management. His journey in visual arts began in the 1960s, and his interest in graphic printing was sparked in 1969 when he reflected on the limitations of printing techniques in Paraguay, which focused primarily on fixed matrices and xilography. Seeking innovation, he explored using real objects as matrices, representing a significant advancement for modern graphics in his country.
Beginning in 1977, he shifted his focus to painting, examining the visual impact of graffiti that had been censored by the military dictatorship. He utilized alterations and crossings-out as a means to express the suppressed voices. His work transformed after the fall of the dictatorship in 1989, a period that brought new freedoms but also the risk of trivializing collective memory. In response, he developed works aimed at complexifying reality, integrating various disciplines such as writing, photography, video, and industrial embroidery, creating installations that reflected on memory and language.
In addition to his artistic endeavors, he has been active as a cultural manager since 1978, co-founding the Museo del Barro in 1979, where he serves as director. Between 1991 and 1998, he worked in the Directorate of Culture for the Municipality of Asunción, promoting Paraguay’s cultural expressions. In 2004, he received a Guggenheim Fellowship in the USA, which allowed him to continue his artistic development.
From 2007 to 2013, he contributed to the museography of the Archivo del Terror, a documentation center focused on human rights in Paraguay. From 2013 to 2018, he directed the General Directorate of Heritage in the National Culture Secretariat. In 2018, he returned to the Archivo del Terror until 2020, where he worked on curation and exhibitions related to human rights.
Since 1998, he has been the director and curator of the FÁBRICA art gallery in Asunción. His academic journey began in 1972 at the National University of Asunción, where he studied architecture and urban planning, obtaining his degree in 2018 with a final project on the spatial management of museums in Paraguay. He also received a fellowship in 1977 to develop his graphic work in Madrid and participated in a museum architecture course in Spain in 2008.
Throughout his career, he has explored the intersection of art, memory, and culture, making significant contributions to the development of contemporary art in Paraguay.