Events, Festivals and Exhibitions

The I and the You marks the first major UK public gallery exhibition of pioneering Brazilian artist Lygia Clark (1920–1988, Brazil). This exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery underscores Clark’s artistic journey from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s, a period marked by significant turmoil in Brazil’s history, which paralleled the rise of innovative artistic practices.

As a central figure in the Brazilian Neo-concrete movement (1959-1961), Clark, together with peers like Amilcar de Castro, Ferreira Gullar, Hélio Oiticica, and Lygia Pape, questioned the limitations of ‘concrete art’ with its emphasis on non-representational geometric abstraction. The Neo-concrete artists advocated for more experimentation, expression, colour and poetic sensibility in their work, also suggesting new ways for the audience to engage with art.

The I and the You

“The I and the You” exhibition showcases how Lygia Clark’s initial formal explorations and her deepening engagement with the philosophy of experience and art’s therapeutic possibilities resulted in progressively narrowing the distance between the artwork and its beholder.

The exhibition begins with a collection of paintings, studies and paper works. These pieces demonstrate how her exploration of the fundamental elements of painting evolved into a more instinctive method of composition. During this period, she also sought innovative ways for audiences — later termed ‘participants’ — to engage physically with her art, furthering her exploration of the dynamics between object and observer, the internal and external, self and the world.

Additionally, the exhibition showcases Clark’s Bichos (‘beasts’ or ‘critters’) – pioneering creations stemming from her investigation into two-dimensional surfaces. Composed of geometric shapes connected by hinges at various points, the Bichos were intended to be handled by viewers, thus involving them directly in the transformation of the sculptural form. The exhibition includes replicas of Bichos and other interactive pieces, inviting visitors to experience these works as the artist intended, through touch, engagement, or adornment.

Throughout the 1960s, Clark’s work evolved to emphasise the physical experience over the object’s symbolic meaning. She utilized materials such as plastic bags, paper, glue, stones, elastic bands and fruit netting, repurposing them to foster a variety of experiences and interactions.

The concluding segment of The I and the You showcases Clark’s collaborative group projects, which were conceived during her stay in Paris after the May 1968 protests. Escaping Brazil’s oppressive political climate, her endeavors in France were inspired by the era’s revolutionary zeal, aiming to dissolve the boundaries of art through the exploration of collective interactions. These pieces will be brought to life in a sequence of performances scheduled for every Saturday during the exhibition.

A comprehensive schedule of public discussions, guided tours, and interactive events will serve to further illuminate Lygia Clark’s artistic contributions and methodology.

Lygia Clark: The I and the You

The exhibition “Lygia Clark: The I and the You” is co-curated by Anglo-Brazilian art scholar Michael Asbury, artist and educator Sonia Boyce, and Gilane Tawadros, the Director of Whitechapel Gallery, in close collaboration with the Associação Cultural Lygia Clark.

The exhibition is showcased in conjunction with Sonia Boyce: An Awkward Relation (displayed in Galleries 7, 8, and 9).

Lygia Clark: The I and the You

2 October 2024 – 12 January 2025,  Tuesday – Sunday, 11am – 6pm; Thursdays, 11am – 9pm. Gallery 1.

Cost

Admission: £12.50 (Standard ticket); £9.50 (Concessions)

Main image: Lygia Clark Corpo Coletivo (colective body) 1974, Paço Imperial, Rio de Janeiro, 1986. Photo Sergio Zalis. Courtesy Associacão Cultural O Mundo de Lygia Clark.