Portal U de A

By: Margarita Rivera Motato, journalist at UdeA Communications Department  

The work "Horse in the Wind," donated by artist David Manzur, arrived at UdeA and is now part of the institution's Open Museum collection. It is a body of cultural assets that features 38 important Colombian artists. Manzur's sculpture, considered a unique piece in the Caldas master's style, challenges traditional anatomy to capture the mythical essence and indomitable energy of the horse through minimalist and expressive lines crafted from sheet iron. "A gift for the University, Medellín, and Antioquia," said Manzur during the presentation ceremony on September 4, 2025. 

Artist David Manzur directed the creation of the sculpture "Horse in the Wind" in his workshop in Barichara, Santander. Photo: Communications Department/ Alejandra Uribe F. 

David Manzur asks not to be called "maestro." He dislikes the pompousness of that word, although it's difficult to address him and avoid the temptation to call him that. On the ground floor of Block 16—at UdeA’s campus— surrounded by a large group of students, professors, officials, and guests, he stood up from his chair, walked slowly toward the microphone, and, amidst a burst of laughter, managed to say that he didn't understand the fuss over a "piece of tin." 

Thus, with the irreverence that characterizes him —and has distinguished him in Colombian art— artist Manzur presented his work "Horse in the Wind" to Universidad de Antioquia on September 4, 2025. "For me, it is an honor to be part of UdeA’s Open Museum collection, alongside works by many artists I have been fortunate enough to have a great friendship with and others I deeply admire." With those words, he explained what the donation of this sculpture to the University means to him. 

Now located in the central plaza of the university campus in Medellín, the sculpture represents a new aesthetic exploration by the artist, renowned for his celebrated realistic paintings of equines. At four meters tall, the monumental iron piece challenges the traditional representation of the equestrian figure and is designed to interact with the natural elements of the environment—light, shadow, and wind—which makes it a new meeting and contemplation point on the university campus. 

"It's my hope that the horse will become part of the students' daily lives, that they will walk between its legs, read in its shade, and see it as their companion while they study at UdeA, one of the great educational centers in the Americas," said Manzur, who also thanked the university’s president for accepting this donation. 

During the ceremony, President John Jairo Arboleda Céspedes noted that the sculpture "Horse in the Wind" arrives at the University to enrich its body of cultural assets and heritage by symbolizing the freedom, strength, and constant movement that characterize the institution's pursuit of knowledge. "Its strategic location in the heart of the university campus makes it a meeting and contemplation point, and also a source of inspiration." 

The official emphasized that "this piece reminds us that art is part of university life, which challenges us to think differently and appreciate beauty in its many forms. The sculpture we received is not a static piece; it's a living entity that will accompany the many expressions of university life. This space at the university campus takes on a new meaning: it will be a refuge, light, shade, and inspiration for many." 

In addition to its profound symbolic value, the sculpture pays tribute to the region. "This is a gift not only to this wonderful university but also to Medellín and Antioquia. The city and department are among Colombia's leading contributors to industry, fashion, art, education, tourism, and infrastructure. This horse is a tribute to the people of Antioquia," said David Manzur. 

A unique work in the Manzur artistic style 

Carlos Arturo Fernández Uribe, coordinator of UdeA’s Master's Program in Art History, has studied Manzur's work in detail. For him, "Horse in the Wind" is a unique work. "Manzur began exhibiting 72 years ago. His first exhibition was in 1953 at the Museo Nacional, and after 72 years, this is the first time he's presented a sculpture. It's the only one he's done so far. This element represents a new challenge." 

The UdeA professor emphasized that the University can now host an artist who, after 72 years, can say: "I'm going to do something different," or "Something different can be done," and think that he's going to use a different language. "That's why it's so enriching for the Open Museum; it's a unique piece that exists nowhere else, a work that will surely raise questions and concerns, possibly criticism. There will be those who say that he should have continued painting and not considered sculpture at this point in his life, but ultimately, that's what art is about: The discussion a work generates, the questions it raises. So this unique element enriches the University’s cultural, historical, and artistic heritage." 

"Art and life have no definition, and that's why, here [at Universidad de Antioquia], when I see the things the students showed me, I'm amazed," said Maestro Manzur at the presentation ceremony for the work. 

"Horse in the Wind" is the 89th work in the UdeA Open Museum. Photo: UdeA Communications Department / Alejandra Uribe F. 

David Manzur’s career 

David Manzur holds an honorary Doctorate of Arts from Universidad de Antioquia (2024), a title that this public university awarded in recognition of his career and contributions to Colombian art. The artist, born in 1929 in Neira, Caldas, has challenged aesthetic norms since the 1960s with a body of work that blends the dreamlike and the tangible, influenced by the various places that shaped his childhood and youth: Equatorial Guinea, the Canary Islands, the United States, and Colombia. 

According to Professor Fernández Uribe, Manzur's artistic approach has always been controversial. "In the history of Colombian art, Manzur went against the grain of the new critical trends and the like, always asserting his own point of view, claiming that there was no obligatory path," expressed the doctor in Art History from the University of Bologna. He emphasized that the artist did not abandon abstract art to return to figurative art and to an art that included many Baroque and literary elements, including decoration, which constitutes a fundamental contribution. "Because art is problematic, art does not correspond to a pre-established scheme, but is the development of a poetic," he said. 

At 95 years old, David Manzur continues his uninterrupted dedication to art. His work encompasses anatomical, architectural, and geometric forms, as well as trees, female bodies, Quixotic knights, musical instruments, religious figures, still lifes, and teapots. His many awards include the Grand Cross of the Order of Boyacá (2019), the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic awarded by King Felipe VI of Spain (2020), and the Order of the Congress of the Republic of Colombia (2005). 

The Open Museum continues to consolidate 

Universidad de Antioquia’s Open Museum is a commitment to democratizing art, integrating it into the everyday landscape, and fostering dialogue between the university community and artistic expressions. This institutional project features a unique collection in the country that spans 16 spaces on 12 university campuses and brings together sculptures and murals of significant cultural, social, and political value. The collection includes 88 works—89 with the new addition—in realist, modernist, and contemporary styles, created by 38 highly relevant artists. 

Among the names of the artists that make up this collection are Francisco Antonio Cano, Pedro Nel Gómez, Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt, Enrique Grau, Jorge Cárdenas Hernández, Marta Lucía Villafañe, Hugo Zapata, Ana Mercedes Hoyos, Ronny Vayda, Fanny Sanín, Flaviano Palacio, Leonel Estrada and Horacio Longas.