Lygia Pape: Weaving Space

Curator: Emma Lavigne, with Alexandra Bordes
Artist: Lygia Pape

The exhibition “Lygia Pape. Weaving Space” centres on a major work from the Pinault Collection, the light installation “Ttéia 1, C” (2003/2025). Copper wires stretch across the space, creating a luminous field that shifts with the visitor’s movement and the play of light. This emblematic piece embodies the Brazilian artist’s concept of “weaving space”, redefining her relationship with the public through sensory immersion.

The presentation marks Pape’s first solo exhibition in France and gathers fundamental works from across her career. Early abstract engravings are shown alongside her majestic “Livro Noite e Dia III” [Book of Night and Day III] (1963–1976) and a selection of experimental films. Together, they trace the breadth of her artistic vocabulary, where geometric rigour meets poetic experimentation. Rooted in Brazil’s socio-political context, Pape’s practice expresses a deep commitment to social transformation, in which the boundary between art and life is constantly renegotiated.

Born in 1927 in Nova Friburgo and active until her death in 2004 in Rio de Janeiro, Pape stands as one of the central figures of the Brazilian avant-garde, alongside Lygia Clark and Hélio Oiticica. Their shared ambition redefined art not as a finished object but as a sensory presence engaging perception and consciousness. “Weaving Space” honours this vision, offering new forms of viewer participation while reinventing the language of contemporary art.

Curated by Emma Lavigne, Chief Curator and Director of the Pinault Collection, with Alexandra Bordes, Curatorial Projects Manager at Pinault Collection, the exhibition also forms part of the Brazil-France 2025 season, underscoring the cross-cultural resonance of Pape’s legacy.