Tunga and Pedagogical Practices in Transit in Latin America

Reflections from an Archival Experience

Abstract

This article analyzes the presence of architecture in the archive of the Brazilian artist Tunga (1952–2016). It is focused on documents that reveal his relationship with the School of Architecture at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (PUCV) and Ciudad Abierta in the late 1960s. It is based on the hypothesis that exploring little-studied sources can reveal new ways of interpreting Tunga’s artistic and intellectual trajectory, broadening perspectives and challenging established knowledge. The research raises questions about how to identify architecture in an art archive, how to assemble documentary fragments, and how the archive reveals both the artist and the networks surrounding him. The method combines documentary and reflective analysis supported by three theoretical frameworks: Intellectual Biography (François Dosse), which connects life and work; Biogram (Roland Barthes), which values singular fragments; and Actor-Network Theory (Bruno Latour), which maps sociability networks. The corpus includes personal and institutional archives encompassing academic records, photographs, interviews, and correspondence. The study demonstrates the formative influence of Valparaíso School on Tunga’s work highlighting interactions, experiences, and practices that connect life, art, and architecture. This introduces a novel perspective that expands the existing historiography of the artist.