From October 12, 2024 to March 16, 2025, the Fondation Cartier Pour l'Art Contemporain presents in Paris one of the most important exhibitions dedicated to Olga de Amaral, outstanding figure of Colombian art and pioneer Fiber art. This exhibition, the artist's first great retrospective in Europe, brings together about 90 works created from the 60s to the present, many of them never seen outside Colombia.
Where Colombian tradition and contemporary innovation converge.Cyril Marcilhacy / Item
An immersive experience that connects textile art with architecture.Cyril Marcilhacy / Item
Textile art exploration
Olga de Amaral has transformed the concept of textilesintegrating materials such as linen, cotton, gold and platinum bread, along with innovative techniques such as fabric, knots and braided. Inspired by modernism learned in the Cranbrook Academy of Art of the United States and the pre -Columbian traditions of your native country, His work transcends the limits between painting, sculpture and installationgenerating monumental pieces that reflect deep landscapes, history and emotions.
The language of color and space
To love, color is an unconscious language that accompanies its creation. Your series Stelas and Brumas are key examples of its color exploration and materiality. In Stelasuse gold bread to create surfaces that reflect and diffract the light, while Brumas It evokes the lightness and fluidity of the fog through three -dimensional textiles and simple geometric patterns.
Olga de Amaral, Estela 45 (two), 2013 Lin, Gesso, Acrylique, Papier Japanais, Feuilles d'Or et de Paladium, 180 × 65 cmTheo Christelis
Olga de Amaral, Strata XV, 2009 Lin, Gesso, Acrylique et feuille d'Or 225 x 201 x 3 cmGeorge Darrell
An envelope architectural design
The exhibition has been designed by Lina GhotmehFranco-Libanesa architect, who created an inner landscape that connects art with nature and space. The installation guides visitors through an immersive tour that reflects the roots and artistic evolution of Amaral, highlighting its impact on the textile avant -garde of the twentieth century.
Olga de Amaral, Bruma D1, 2018 Lin, Gesso, Acrylique, Papier Japanais et Bois 220 x 90 x 200 cmMark Waldhauser
Olga de Amaral, Bruma W, 2018 Lin, Gesso, Acrylique, Papier Japanis et Bois 200 x 90 x 220 cmMark Waldhauser
Who is Olga de Amaral?
Born in Bogotá in 1932, Olga de Amaral is one of the most outstanding figures of Colombian art and a Fiber Art pioneer internationally. Amaral has challenged the traditional categories of art, creating pieces that fuse paint, sculpture and textile design, exploring identity, landscape and spirituality issues through materials such as gold bread and cotton.
Olga de Amaral, Bruma T, Brum© Olga de Amaral, Courtesy Lisson Gallery
Accompanying the exhibition, an exhaustive catalog will be published that documes Amaral's career, contextualizing its work in the field of international textile art and its revolutionary contributions.
The exhibition not only celebrates Olga de Amaral's work, but also claims textile art as a bold and contemporary medium, underlining its importance in the global artistic scene.