MIAMI, FLA.- Phillips announced the four-day exhibition of over 30 works in Miami from the upcoming Latin American Art auction. Artworks by artists such as Lygia Pape, Antonio Dias, Carlos Cruz-Diez, and Olga de Amaral will all be included in the preview. The exhibition, which is completely free and open to the public, will take place from Thursday, 3 November, to Sunday, 6 November at the Palm Court event space, 140 NE 39th Street, Miami.
Kaeli Deane, Phillips’ Head of Sale, Latin American Art, said, “It is a privilege to have the opportunity to bring such exciting works of art to the public in Miami again this season. Always a tremendous supporter of the visual arts, the Miami Design District is an ideal setting for this important exhibition of Latin American masterworks. We’re particularly excited for collectors and art enthusiasts in the area to view Olga de Amaral’s Poblado K, proceeds from which will benefit the VivArte's participating foundations, Caring for Colombia and Primero Lo Primero.”
Tiffany Chestler, Director of Cultural Programming at Dacra, said, “Here at the Miami Design District, we pride ourselves on being a hub for cultural experiences. We are excited to host Phillips again this year, as they highlight these rich, distinctive works from Latin American artists for their upcoming sale.”
Executed in 1975 while living in Paris, Carlos Cruz-Diez’s Physichromie No. 1020 wonderfully examplifies the artist’s oeuvre of kinetic and Op Art. Throughout his career, Cruz-Diez focused on the kinetic energy of color and its existence as an autonomous and evolving reality, independent from form or structure. One of the largest and most important of his works from the 1970s to come to market, Physichromie No. 1020 is emblematic of CruzDiez’s restless experimentation in visual dynamics and his intent to test the boundaries of perception and the spatial elements of our reality.
Lygia Pape’s Escultura , executed in 1965 will also be featured in the exhibition. One of Brazil’s most important modern artists, Pape's diverse oeuvre includes sculpture, engraving, performance, and filmmaking. Along with Lygia Clark and Hélio Oiticica, Pape was a signatory of the Brazilian NeoConcrete manifesto, which promoted the ideal that art was not a static representation but rather organic and experiential. Of particular note is the relationship this work possesses with its surrounding space and how it affects the viewer. The different planes in Escultura , the conjunction of its geometrical configuration, and the white surfaces intersected by black perpendicular planes proposes distinct visual experiences according to the position of the viewer in the gallery space. This work is of great art historical significance, s tanding at a pivotal moment in Pape’s trajectory, executed between her Neo-Concrete and experimental film stages. It has come to the market at a timely moment, with a major exhibition dedicated to Pape opening at the The Met Breuer in early 2017.
Olga de Amaral’s Poblado K is among the highlights of the exhibition, completed earlier this year by the artist. This work is a wonderful example of de Amaral's distinctive large-scale abstract woven pieces, which are often covered in gold and silver leaf, lending them a shimmering, almost sculptural quality in contrast to the feeling of a tapestry. Her richly textured pieces evoke the varied natural landscapes of Colombia as well as ancient pre-Columbian gold artifacts. Poblado K is one of nine works of art by female artists in the November auction, whose sale will benefit VivArte, a joint philanthropic effort to transform vulnerable communities in Colombia through health, education, and arts initiatives. VivArte also aims to provide a platform for international visibility for Colombian contemporary artists. From the sale of each piece fifty percent will be donated by the artists to VivArte’s participating organizations, Caring for Colombia and Primero Lo Primero, whose investments in building social capital seek to produce a long term economic impact for future generations in Colombia.
Antonio Dias’ untitled work from 2005 will also be included in the exhibition and will be sold on behalf of the Brazil Golden Art Collection, which focused on Brazil’s leading contemporary artists. This large-scale work explores the artist’s preoccupation with color and space, blurring the lines between painting and sculpture.
Examples from a special section of the auction dedicated to Cuban Concrete Art from the 1950s and 1960s will also be featured. These historical works by artists like Loló Soldevilla, José Mijares, and Salvador Corratgé have recently become increasingly desirable, with many museums acquiring works from this short-lived movement for their permanent collections.
