Olga de Amaral’s position within contemporary art renders obsolete longstanding questions about the artistic status of textile art. Her monumental works extend beyond the wall and resist categorization: they function simultaneously as painting, sculpture, environment, and architecture. The ancient textile traditions of Andean communities, together with the vernacular dimension of materials such as wool and horsehair, are integrated into her work through a contemporary lens that explores space and the body. In this sense, her practice is not confined to a single geography; rather, it activates symbolic dimensions that evoke the anthropological significance of textiles in relation to the development of humanity.
The exhibition is accompanied by a substantial catalogue, which makes available for the first time archival material related to the artist’s career and the circulation of her work both locally and internationally. The research aims to situate the artist within her various contexts, documenting her artistic networks, her interventions in architecture, and her pioneering role on the continent in the field of textile practice.
This project has been developed in collaboration with Casa Amaral and with Marie Perennes, curator of the artist’s exhibition at the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain (Paris, 2024).
