ExhibitionApril 18, 2023
Liliana Porter, Reality Play. From the 1960s to the Present Day
From 7 April to 27 August 2023, Les Abattoirs presents the first retrospective in France of the artist Liliana Porter (born in Argentina in 1941 and living in New York since 1964). It shows about one hundred works gathering past and recent works. It brings to the fore a new generation of female artists who have redefined the boundaries of conceptual art and transformed the poetic form of the installation.
Porter explores the potential of various media, including painting, sculpture, photography, video, and printmaking, that is at the heart of her work. In 1964, she co-founded the collective New York Graphic Workshop with Luis Camnitzer and José Guillermo Castillo. The printmaking which is profoundly linked to the oeuvre of artists in Central and South America for its political dimension, has allowed her to view the idea of authorship and collective work with a critical eye and provide her with new narrative forms. In the 1970s, she became interested in photography and began including images of her body in drawings, particularly wall art, echoing concerns held by female artists at the time.
The first half of the exhibition presents this journey while also offering a rereading of the historical, artistic, and social context of the time concerning the commitment of Porter and the artistic community to which she belonged.
The second half presents her installations, including two that have been specially created for Les Abattoirs. These small scenes have been present in her work for around twenty years and are created with contemporary figurines and knickknacks that she has found in flea markets during her travels. They also feature in her paintings and videos.
Porter explores the potential of various media, including painting, sculpture, photography, video, and printmaking, that is at the heart of her work. In 1964, she co-founded the collective New York Graphic Workshop with Luis Camnitzer and José Guillermo Castillo. The printmaking which is profoundly linked to the oeuvre of artists in Central and South America for its political dimension, has allowed her to view the idea of authorship and collective work with a critical eye and provide her with new narrative forms. In the 1970s, she became interested in photography and began including images of her body in drawings, particularly wall art, echoing concerns held by female artists at the time.
The first half of the exhibition presents this journey while also offering a rereading of the historical, artistic, and social context of the time concerning the commitment of Porter and the artistic community to which she belonged.
The second half presents her installations, including two that have been specially created for Les Abattoirs. These small scenes have been present in her work for around twenty years and are created with contemporary figurines and knickknacks that she has found in flea markets during her travels. They also feature in her paintings and videos.
