Julio Le Parc

Julio Le Parc (Mendoza, 1928) is a major figure of historical importance within kinetic and contemporary art. In Paris in 1960, he cofounded the influential collective Groupe de Recherche d’Art Visuel (GRAV). Le Parc’s early paintings were influenced by the constructivist movement known as Arte Concreto Invención, as well as artists such as Piet Mondrian and Victor Vasarely.

Since 1959, Le Parc has continued on his own independent path, applying rigorous organising principles to his paintings, whether exploring the use of fourteen scales of colours or white, gray, and black in endless varying yet precise combinations. He has long been concerned with how art might consider the participation of the public, and his research into perceptual instability as a pioneer of kinetic and op art led to important works involving light and movement. In 1966, Julio Le Parc participated in the 33rd Venice Biennale, where he received the prestigious Council of Ministers Award for Best Foreign Painter. A defender of human rights, he fought against dictatorship in Latin America through numerous collective antifascist projects.