Artist Roberto Cadenas, who created the mural in collaboration with Janet Cabrera and with the support of several national artists, was moved as he recalled the support provided by ORT’s executive director for the creation of the work.
"It was she who made it possible for this mural to be here. She opened an incredible door for me to share this work with you," said the artist, who also acknowledged the willingness of rector Universidad ORT Uruguay, Dr. Jorge Grünberg, to host the official opening reception for the mural, as well as its presentation as part of the Rosh Hashanah 5785 event organized by the university in early October of this year.
Cadenas noted that he and Cabrera drew on the basic structure of their works, which depict certain aspects of reality. "The basic idea is the brotherhood of peoples. We included the symbols from Israel that most caught our attention, such as the Western Wall, a cow, and a camel (typical of each country); we also had the Palacio Salvo ‘engage indialogue’with the Tower of David (located in Jerusalem).”
"The mural depicts both the visible reality and the underlying reality," Cadenas explained. He noted that the radio refers to the vote on the creation of a Jewish state in 1947, as well as Uruguay's decisive vote and its ambassador's speech.
The team of artists who participated in the project also included: Amelia Lolo, Washington García, Florencia Cadenas, Gabriela Alonso, Lalia De Mello, Sonia Norman, Daniel Álvarez, Stella Bueno, and Patricia González.
The mural is located in the lobby of the auditorium on the Downtown Campus (Cuareim 1451) and can be viewed Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and on Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The history of the mural
In 2023, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Uruguay and Israel, the first mural was unveiled in the town of Zichron Yaakov, an artists’ community in Israel.
Cadenas traveled to Israel with his wife, the artist Janet Cabrera, and his team to paint and create the artwork on site, so that it would remain as a legacy for posterity.
"At that time, it was decided that a sister mural—a twin of the one unveiled in Israel—would be unveiled at Universidad ORT Uruguay, 'not only to beautify and honor our home, but also so that the two works of art might reflect one another, in Uruguay and in Israel, for these 75 years of friendship," stated the general director of ORT in the Jewish calendar published by the university in September 2023.
In an article published on the website of the Hebrew weekly JAI, journalist Ana Jerozolimski described how the unique atmosphere that characterized the team’s work in Israel was replicated in Montevideo.
"As we told you in Israel, we're already family," Cabrera said in that same interview.
In addition, Jerozolimski quoted Israeli President Isaac Herzog during the mural’s unveiling ceremony in Israel. “The fact that Uruguay has decided to place this artwork here is a symbol of the friendship between our two nations, which has lasted for 75 years. For those who are unaware, I would like to remind you that Uruguay was one of the first countries in the world to recognize the need to establish a Jewish state in the land of Israel,” he said.
"Murals speak and convey the significance of a single moment, like a giant screen on which the artist chooses the moment, the subject, and the symbols he will leave for posterity," concluded Prof. Charlotte de Grünberg.