“This spirit of research, of experimentation, and all these reflections on culture, society, the role of the artist, the importance of art. This is what has always mattered to me. In my case, it was never just theory, it was a way to look for ways of constantly transforming my daily practice, while attempting to abide as little as possible to external demands.”
Born in 1928 in Argentina, a major figure in kinetic and optical art, founding member of GRAV (Research Group for Visual Art), and winner of the International Grand Prize for Painting at the Venice Biennale in 1966, Julio Le Parc is emblematic of the history of art. His work overflows with boundless energy around light that gives an impression of constant flow and a “siempre optimismo” (always optimism), to borrow the artist’s expression. Julio Le Parc's art attempts to limit the artist's subjectivity to the surface of the painting as much as possible. Systems are then set up, most often based on the progression of a simple geometric element. To facilitate its demystification, the artist's work is situated between interactivity and instability, which requires an active role requested from the viewer. We have to lose our reflexes, forget what we think we know or do not know, take a fresh look at what surrounds us.