The Iván Tovar Foundation announced ‘Iván Tovar: Le Retour’, a collateral event of the 61st Venice Biennale. The work will be exhibited in the historic Ex Istituto Idrografico of the Museo Storico Navale, from May 9 to November 22, 2026.
Curated by Christian Viveros-Fauné, the exhibition celebrates the brilliant work of Ivan Tovar (1942-2020) and represents the first presentation of Tovar’s work in the Venice Biennale since 1972.
‘Iván Tovar: Le Retour’ places the path artist’s transatlantic journey—his formative years in the Dominican Republic, two decades working in Paris and his eventual return home—as a central element of the global history of surrealism.
This new approach arises following the centenary of André Breton’s “Surrealist Manifesto”, which museums throughout Europe, Latin America and USA have been held to review the history of modern and contemporary art.
The details of these new narratives—that is, the alternative histories they encompass, which invariably involve other influences, other artists and cultural agents, as well as other audiences—reconfigure the history of painting in the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean, and beyond.
The ins and outs of Tovar’s expanded narratives, along with the broad stories that animate Koyo Kouoh’s 61st International Art Exhibition, In Minor Keys, not only accumulate as tales of an under-recognized past, but propose possible futures.
«Iván Tovar: Le Retour marks both the long-awaited appearance of an artist on the world stage and a new chapter in our understanding of surrealism. Tovar’s work takes surrealism as a starting point, working to re-articulate ideas, symbols and global visual phenomena, and promoting ways of seeing that elevate a cultural position long considered peripheral. It is my honor to bring this vision to Venicewhere the debate on the movements of people and ideas has never been more urgent,” says curator Christian Viveros-Fauné.
tribute
Iván Tovar has just been honored through the postal issuance of stamps, organized in coordination with the Iván Tovar Foundation and the Dominican Postal Institute (INPOSDOM) to honor both the centenary of surrealism and its universal legacy.
This philatelic initiative highlights his fundamental contribution to the history of art and reaffirms his place as a key figure of Dominican cultural heritage and international surrealism.
«Iván Tovar: Le Retour is the Tovar’s return to Venice after more than fifty yearsintroducing his work to a new generation. This exposure It is fundamental to our mission to preserve, promote and disseminate the art and culture of the Dominican Republic. It is an honor for us to share Tovar’s work with the world,” he says. Hector José Rizek Suedfrom the Iván Tovar Foundation.
