The Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin currently hosts the first German retrospective of Brazilian artist Lygia Clark (1920–1988). Featuring approximately 120 works, this extensive exhibition in the upper hall will showcase her artistic journey from the late 1940s to the 1980s, encompassing geometric-abstract paintings, participatory sculptures, and performances. A key focus of the show is Clark’s interactive approach, with numerous replicas crafted specifically for the exhibition, allowing visitors to engage directly with her art. The exhibition at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin runs until October 12, 2025.
Lygia Clark is celebrated as a pioneering figure who transformed the dynamic between artist, viewer, and artwork. As a central member of the Neoconcretismo movement, launched in Rio de Janeiro in 1959, she viewed art as a living, organic entity. Clark emphasized a sensory, body-centered, and subjective art experience, actively involving the viewer.
Clark’s early career focused on geometric-abstract paintings, but after 1954, she began breaking the boundaries of the canvas with relief-like wooden panels that connected to the surrounding space. With the rise of the Neo-Concrete movement, she ventured into three-dimensional works. The movement saw artworks as organic, evolving entities, a concept embodied in Clark’s Bichos (Critters)—movable, geometric sculptures that viewers can manipulate into new configurations. This evolved into her Objetos Sensoriais (Sensorial Objects), such as glasses, masks, and suits, which engaged the viewer’s entire body in sensory experiences. By the late 1960s, Clark introduced the Corpo Coletivo (Collective Body), focusing on community-driven, performative actions. Later, she developed a therapeutic method using her art objects to engage the body.
The retrospective gathers around 120 loans from international collections, including the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, the Museu de Arte Moderna in Rio de Janeiro, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Cisneros Collection in New York, offering a comprehensive view of Clark’s groundbreaking contributions.
Lygia Clark: Retrospective / Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin. September 24, 2025.
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