Iconic mural that pays tribute to the agricultural and cultural wealth of the Americas is reinstalled at IICA Headquarters, in the presence of the Ambassador of Spain

Con 2,5 metros de alto y 18 de ancho, el mural expone el arduo e invaluable esfuerzo de las mujeres y hombres de las Américas que labran la tierra, cosechan sus productos, cuidan de sus animales y protegen las fuentes de agua para llevar alimentos a las mesas de todo el mundo. — The 2.5-meters high and 18-meters wide mural depicts the arduous and invaluable efforts of women and men in the Americas who till the soil, harvest crops, care for animals and protect water sources to bring food to tables around the world.

San Jose, 12 October 2022 (IICA) – Within the framework of its 80th anniversary, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) has restored a mural donated by Spain to the hemispheric organization in 1981. The work of art seeks to revive the agricultural traditions of countries of the Americas and highlight the intrinsic relationship between the region’s agriculture and its socioeconomic and cultural development.

The 2.5-meters high and 18-meters wide mural depicts the arduous and invaluable efforts of women and men in the Americas who till the soil, harvest crops, care for animals and protect water sources to bring food to tables around the world. The work of art was donated to IICA thanks to the Ministry of Agriculture of Spain, which, at that time, was headed by Jaime Lamo de Espinosa.

Originally designed by artist Julián Pérez Muñoz of Valencia, Spain, and reproduced by Antonio Tomás, the mural is comprised of ceramic tiles, delicately painted by hand using paint with a higher proportion of water—a technique that is rarely used today.

Eva Martínez, Embajadora de España en Costa Rica, junto al Director General del IICA, Manuel Otero. — Eva Martínez, Ambassador of Spain to Costa Rica, and Manuel Otero, IICA Director General.

In early 2022, part of the mural was damaged; as a result, several pieces had to be reassembled much like a puzzle, in order to restore the original splendor of the artwork.

Thanks to the efforts undertaken by architect Amanda Fernández, IICA and its Permanent Office for Europe in Madrid, the Institute was able to connect with Antonio Tomas, who had been commissioned in the 1980s to render the artwork on dozens of ceramic tiles.

Now 83 years old, Tomas and his family were able to repair and replicate the damaged pieces of the mural, restoring its original splendor.

“It is an honor for me to reinaugurate this mural, which was donated 40 years ago by the government of Spain. Not only have we restored it, but we have been able to protect it, to ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy this wonderful work of art”, said Eva Martinez, Ambassador of Spain to Costa Rica.

Martínez visited IICA Headquarters in San Jose, Costa Rica, and met with Director General Manuel Otero during the Institute’s 80th anniversary celebrations.

“Thanks to a chain of efforts, we recovered the mural: one of IICA’s most iconic elements and a reflection of the profound relationship between Spain and IICA”, remarked the Director General.

The mural forms part of the Interpretive Center for Tomorrow’s Agriculture (CIMAG), one of the most important features of the “IICA of Open Doors” initiative, through which IICA seeks to draw closer to local communities and demonstrate the key role of technology in achieving more inclusive, resilient, productive and sustainable agriculture.

More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int