Kinetic artist Jesús Rafael Soto is feted with a duet of retrospectives in Paris and New York
At Emmanuel Perrotin’s Paris gallery, visitors appeared to be lingering around the artworks more than usual. One cannot just stand and stare at Jesús Rafael Soto’s highly technical constructions. 'Pénétrable BBL bleu', a particularly striking example of his work, invites viewers to swish through its baleen-like grid of PVC tubes suspended from a garage-sized metal frame. (And yes, it’s kid friendly.)
The Marais exhibition is the first of two vernissages, both entitled 'Chronochrome', with the second opening in New York tomorrow. Perrotin’s staging of a double Soto retrospective represents a major opportunity to reflect on the artist’s contribution to modern art - specifically the dynamism of his complex and kinetically charged arrangements. The artist, who died in 2005 at the age of 81, added perceptual dimension to his 'paintings' so that wood panels would appear to advance and recede within their frames.
Some pieces, such as 'Cube de Paris' (1990) with its central vortex of red nylon strands, needs a 360-degree perspective; other works, such as the 'Ecriture' series filled with swirling metal reliefs, require shuffling back and forth to experience the vibratory effect. The negative space between the floating prismatic shapes of 'Doble progresión azul y negra' (1975) belies its immense weight (one tonne).
Born in Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela - where an eponymous museum opened in 1973 - Soto moved to Paris in 1950, which also marked his shift towards a distinctly abstract style that furthered ideas developed by Piet Mondrian, Alexander Calder and Lazló Moholy-Nagy. His first retrospective of kinetic art took place 45 years ago and toured several European institutions including the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and Paris' National Museum of Modern Art.
But historian and curator Matthieu Poirier notes how the artist has not received due recognition—at least, not yet. 'Many people are considering this part of history and Soto is the genius of this history,' says Poirier, who first visited the artist at his Paris studio in 2003. Today, that studio houses the archives and also remains an active workshop for his longtime assistant and fellow Venezuelan artist, René Ugarte, who uses parts that Soto presciently left behind to repair any wear and tear.
To wit, Soto's ouevre simply feels fresh. The 'moiré' pattern created by his optical illusions, for instance, is not unlike watching palm fronds rustle in a breeze. But as Poirier explains, all the tricks are in plain sight: 'He wasn’t James Turrell. Turrell is a magician; he’s hiding all the wires. As far as philosophy, Soto was a materialist — no magic. Everything is explainable.”
Of the nearly 60 exhibited works - in some cases, for sale - several have been made available by the artist’s estate, now represented by Perrotin, while others are loans from international museums. In collaboration with Soto’s four children (his wife passed away last year), Poirier engineered the simultaneous shows as 'a whole with two major parts' which are grouped by 'families of procedures and logics' instead of a more obvious linear chronology. 'With Soto,' he says, 'it is not a linear evolution.'
The fact that Soto’s work resists photography might just be the most remarkable takeaway in the Instagram era. While the precise geometries, the restrained colour palette and delineation of two-dimensional space all register well enough, the planes and illusions vanish and the ensuing flatness renders his art into something altogether different. And apropos of the shows’ title, 'Chronochrome', the longer you engage with each piece, the more it comes to life.
ADDRESS
Galerie Perrotin Paris
76 Rue de Turenne
75003 Paris
France
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Remembering Richard Serra (1938-2024), American art’s man of steel
American artist Richard Serra, whose vast sculptures transformed landscapes around the world, has died aged 85
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Architectural gardens around the world to soothe the soul
From small domestic gardens, to nature reserves, urban interventions and local parks, here are some of the finest green projects that place nature at their heart
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Corfu hotel Domes Miramare redefines beachfront bliss
Make like Jackie O at Corfu hotel Domes Miramare, a property with contemporary luxury and echoes of 1960s glamour in spades
By Bridget Downing Published
-
Josèfa Ntjam reveals mythical sculptures for her LVMH Métiers d’Art artist residency
LVMH Métiers d’Art presents ‘Une cosmogonie d’océans’, celebrating Josèfa Ntjam’s artistic residence
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Damien Hirst takes over Château La Coste
Damien Hirst’s ‘The Light That Shines’ at Château La Coste includes new and existing work, and takes over the entire 500-acre estate in Provence
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Ludovic Nkoth’s vibrant paintings reflect on migration
Cameroon-born, New York-based Ludovic Nkoth uses acrylic paint to strike a balance between abstraction and figuration
By Ugonna-Ora Owoh Published
-
Heads up: art exhibitions to see in January 2024
Start the year right with the Wallpaper* pick of art exhibitions to see in January 2024
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Tia-Thuy Nguyen encases Chateau La Coste oak tree in tonne of stainless steel strips
Tia-Thuy Nguyen’s ‘Flower of Life’ lives in the grounds of sculpture park and organic winery Château La Coste in France
By Harriet Quick Published
-
Paris Photo 2023: Eva Nielsen puts our impact on the Camargue in dynamic focus
At Paris Photo 2023, ‘Insolare’ by Eva Nielsen, in collaboration with BMW Art Makers, is a compelling exploration of human impact on the landscape
By Sophie Gladstone Published
-
The rich, creative life of Moomins creator Tove Jansson
Finnish artist and Moomins creator Tove Jansson was free, independent and nonconformist, as a new Paris exhibition delving into her life and work reveals
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Mark Rothko retrospective to open at Fondation Louis Vuitton in October 2023
The major Mark Rothko exhibition will bring 115 works to Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris
By Hannah Silver Published