sociology, semiotic theory, posmodernism

letters of appointments

Abdel Hernandez San Juan

Letters of appointment/a sinthesis

Department of Hispanic and Classical Studies

February 5, 1996

Mr. Abdel Hernandez

Museo de Artes Visuales Alejandro Otero

Apartado 1010 Coche

Caracas 1090 Venezuela

Dear Mr Hernandez,

The Department of Spanish of Rice University has been developing for some years an academic interest in semiotics in the context of latinoamerican culture. We have recently become aware of the relevance of your work in contemporary art, theory of art, in anthropology and semiotic. The present letter of to invite you to come to Rice University to discuss your views and experiences through informal exchanges with the students and faculty of our department and the Spanish speaking community. The members of the local Hispanic community have volunteered to provide you with living accommodations. We understand that you are available to come during the month of March 1996. Please confirm at the earliest possible time your availability to come to Houston.

Sincerely

Hector Urrutibeity

Dean of the Department

Rice University

Department of Hispanic and Classical Studies

MS-34. 6100 Main Street

Houston, Texas, 77005-1892

713-285-5451

Abdel Hernández San Juan

Artistic Director

Transart Foundation

1412 West Alabama

Houston, Texas, 77056

This letter if to invite you to participate as a panellist on a Forum concerning “Maya Art and Anthropology” that will be held December 2, mil novecientos noventa y nueve, on the Lake Forest College Campus in Myer Auditorium –Hotchkiss Building. We fell that your areas of research and expertise are especially important for our discussion in that you may provide us with special insights and understandings to the issue of concern. This panel forms part of an ethnographic installation devoted to Maya Art and Anthropology and is conceived as an opportunity to discuss the exhibition component of this interdisciplinary event. This art is of interest given that it has no prior history in the artworlds of the USA. The art itself originates in the context of the touristic and anthropological fascination with the Maya, especially in the context of the anthropological and tourist markets centered on the archaeological ruins of Chichén Itzá. Thus, there are some interesting questions regarding the status and value of this artwork vis a vis other aesthetic traditions such as folklore, fine art, contemporary art, modernist art, etc. Given that this exhibition is the first ever in the USA within a gallery setting, some interesting debates regarding how to curate, install, and market this art come immediately to the foreground.

These questions connect up to the histories and roles of both anthropology as a discipline of collecting-exhibiting and museums as an institution devoted to the representation of cultural forms, whether they be aesthetic or ethnographic. The interesting set of issues concerns curatorial practices and how they may be used as an ethnographic practice of representing cultures and cultural forms. Additionally, we are concerned to question the nature of anthropological installations of art by asking how such may be similar or different than other modes of exhibition in practical and theoretical terms. This is an especially interesting topic when the style of the ethnographic installation of art finds theoretical inspiration from the work of conceptual artists such as Kossuth and performace theory as developed in theatre anthropology and the arts. We hope that this may be of interest for you and that you can join us for the panel. I will communicate with you directly so as to address any questions regarding your role in the panel or the installation in general if you choose to accept. Please find enclosed supplemental materials to provide you with greater information about this program of activities.

Sincerely yours

Quetzil Eugenio

Assistance Professor

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL 60045

Lake Forest Colleague invited you to experience Ah Dzib P´zté, Modern Maya Art in Ancient Tradition, An Ethnographic Installation and Gallery Showing of Contemporary Maya Art in Batik Cloth Pâinting and Wood Statuary with Five Mexican Maya Artists visiting from Chichen Itza

Program of Events

Please Attend the Opening Reception

And Silent Auction to Benefit the Artists

Special Guests include President Spadafora

And the Honorable Mexican Consul Heriberto Galindo

At 7.30 pm, November 30 noventa y nueve

Forum Maya Art and Anthropology

Discuss the Maya Art with Artists, Anthropologists and Critics with special guest Abdel Hernandez San Juan, Cuban Artist, Art Critic and Anthropologist, Curator of the Museum of Visual Art Alejandro Otero in Caracas, 7.00 pm, Thursday, December 2

Gallery Showing of the Maya Art Exhibition

From December 1 through December 10 2.30 -5 pm

Exhibit Showings and intercultural exchanges with the Maya Artists are organized for LFC and area high school groups throughout the exhibition

On the third floor of the Duran Art Institute of Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, Illinois, 60045

Sponsored by a grand from the US-Mexico Found for culture, a binational organization comprised of the Mexican Fund for culture and the arts, Bancomer Cultural Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation

Additional funding provided by the Dean of the Faculty, LFC and the Department of Art, Sociology-Anthropology and the Latin American Studies Program

Abdel,

Here is your travel information

Itinerary

Tuesday November 16m mil novecientos noventa y nueve, Continental Flight 1704

Leave: 10:50 am Houston, TX, Intercontinental, IAH

Arrive: 1.15 pm Chicago, IL, Ohare, ORD

Equipments; 737-800

Meal: Lunch Snack, Brunch Stops: none

Deat 11 A Window, -December 8, mil novecientos noventa y nueve 1101 Leave: 10.55 am Chicago, IK Ohare, ord, Arrive, 1.40 pm Houston, Tx, Intercontinental, IAH

Continental Confirmation number 1wz4d

Travel Agency Reservation Code cititravel wMWKEH

Rand inform me that he is preparing other letter of invitation to, but due to certain difficulties of determining the date of your workshop presentation there have been delays. The issue is one of ensuring the greatest number of persons in attendance

We are looking Forward to your talks, as your work speak to many of us from different disciplines

Please contact me if you have any question about your travel arrangements

Quetzil

Depart Sociology and Anthropology

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois, 60045

Lake Forest College

November 12 1999

Abdel Hernandez

Transart foundation

112 West Alabama

Houston, Texas, 77006

May 14, 2002

Dr Abdel Hernández San Juan

Department of Anthropology

MS 20

Dear Dr Abdel Hernández San Juan

It is a pleasure to inform you that your appointment as a complimentary research associate in the Department of Anthropology has been extended for the period July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003. All other terms and conditions of your appointment remain the same. Please, contact Adria Baker, the Director of International Scholars here at Rice, to ensure that your status with the US Immigration and naturalization service is proper and current. This is important as your legal right to remain in the United States depends upon maintaining proper immigration status

We hope that your continuated association with Rice will be both pleasant and productive

Sincerely,

Robert Stein

Dean School of Social Science

Cronológical list of letters since 1996

1996-Letter of invitation in semiotic theory, anthropology and theory of contemporary art to a 1996 travels Caracas-Houston, texas, faculty of classical and hispanic studies, travels, Héctor urrutibeity, rice University

1996- letter of invitation as curator of seven exhibits to be presented at rice University to travels Caracas- Houston january 1997, texas, Adrià Baker, International scholard Office, George marcus, anthropology faculty

1996- letter of invitation as curator of seven exhibits to be presented at rice University to travels Caracas- Houston january 1997, transart Foundation of Houston, surpik angelini and Paolo angelini

1997- letter of appointment as Complimentary research asociate anthropology faculty at rice University from june 97 to june 98, focussing and claming a productive year,