SENSUAL AND RADICAL: THE PIONEER LYGIA CLARK

Brazilian artist Lygia Clark (1920-1988) stands as one of the most influential figures in 20th-century art, celebrated as a radical re-definer of the very concept of art. This publication makes her complete works accessible for a wider audience. In the 1960s, Clark developed interactive objects that take on form and meaning through the viewer's active engagement. She conceived of art as a participatory, sensory, and sometimes healing experience. This comprehensive volume renders her groundbreaking work tangible in its full scope - from her geometric-abstractions and participatory sculptures to her performative and therapeutic pieces.

- The most significant Brazilian artist of the postwar era

- First retrospective in Germany and Switzerland

- Richly illustrated overview of her influential body of work

- Exquisite cloth-bound design and foil embossing

- Exhibition at the Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin: May 23 to October 12, 2025; Kunsthaus Zürich: November 14, 2025, to March 8, 2026

BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF ART

Clark was one of the founders and leading figures of Brazilian Neoconcretismo. Alongside Lygia Pape and Hélio Oiticica, she was a key figure in contemporary Brazilian art. Her work was closely linked with European modernism, while simultaneously emancipating itself from it. She abandoned painting early on to experiment with small, movable sculptures. Later, she created objects to be worn like clothing, allowing people to engage and "explore the skin of the other". She redefined the viewer's role to one of active participation. Her works engage all the senses and aim for a communal artistic experience. Clark has a central role in current discussions on abstraction, participation, and therapeutic artistic practice. Her legacy profoundly influenced 20th-century art and serves as an important reference for contemporary art that questions the boundaries of conventional art forms. Today, her works can be found in the world's most significant museums.

A COMPLETE OVERVIEW OF HER WORKS

This extensive publication accompanying the major retrospective offers an accessible and thorough overview of Lygia Clark's trailblazing artistic practice. It presents the evolution of Clark's work from 1950 through the 1980s, covering her geometric-abstractions, participatory sculptures, and performative, therapeutic pieces.
Edited by Irina Hiebert Grun and Maike Steinkamp for the National Museums in Berlin. In collaboration with Cathérine Hug from Kunsthaus Zürich.