Sameer Makarius

1924–2009

Born to an Egyptian father and German mother, Sameer Makarius (1924–2009) studied painting in Egypt, Germany, and Hungary. He helped to found the Hungarian Association of Concrete Artists before moving to Argentina in 1953, where he initially worked as an architect and industrial designer. In 1954 he organized the exhibition Fotografia Subjetiva at the Galería Galatea Buenos Aires and became a member of the Arte Nuevo group. In the 1950s he cofounded Artistas no Figurativos Argentinos (Argentine Non-Figurative Artists) and Forum, in addition to shooting experimental films. In 1960 he published the book Buenos Aires y su Gente, a photographic essay on the city and its people, which was also exhibited at the Museo de Arte Moderno de São Paulo.