Exhibition Honoring Venezuelan Optical and Kinetic Art Masters Soto and Cruz-Díez Opens in Coral Gables

Miami, Jun 1 (EFE).- The Coral Gables Museum, a neighboring city to Miami (Florida), commemorates with an exhibition the centenaries of two world leaders in optical art and kinetic art, the deceased Venezuelans Jesús Rafael Soto and Carlos Cruz-Díez, who had careers with many points in common.

The exhibition “Masters who changed the city”, which opens its doors to the public this Friday, brings together iconic works by the two artists, born in Venezuela in 1923 and both died in Paris, Soto in 2005 and Cruz-Díez in 2019.

Movement, light, color and optical illusions is what the twenty works from private collections and art galleries suggest to the visitors of an exhibition that will remain open until next October 22, and gives an idea of ​​the important weight of both artists in world art and in the following generations.

A “penetrable” de Soto stands out, a master of kinetic art, an artistic movement of the 20th century that is characterized by the fact that the works move or give the sensation of moving.

“Penetrable blue from Valencia”, a work from 1999 later reproduced in a unique edition, is one of the characteristic large-format sculptures made with a structure from which rows of plastic fibers hang, which move when someone enters the space. space.

Another iconic work is “Transchromie Mecanique A” by Cruz-Díez, a work originally from 1965 and also reproduced years later in a limited edition, which is made with brightly colored plastic cylinders, a metal structure and a rotating motor.

With this project, the Coral Gables Museum joins the international celebrations for the centennial of the renowned artists of international stature who “redefined the relationship between art and architecture, as well as the artistic experience in public space.”

“The exhibition conveys the ability of these artists to create immersive environments that challenge our perception and invite us to interact with the pieces in a unique way,” curator Yuni Villalonga told EFE, who points out that Soto and Cruz-Díez experimented with the idea that shapes and color are always “changing” and the interaction with the viewer changes the artwork.

Elvis Fuentes, director of the Coral Gables Museum, highlighted that the main contributions of Soto and Cruz-Díez lie in “the dematerialization of the work of art and the expansion of the art experience beyond mere contemplation.”

Educational panels and documentary videos are presented alongside the works to provide a deeper understanding of the innovative legacy of Soto and Cruz-Díez and their continuing influence on contemporary art.

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