Vibration Blanche 1995

Curator: We’re looking at Jesús Rafael Soto’s "Vibration Blanche," created in 1995. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: It gives the impression of being almost immaterial—a shimmer in space more than a solid object. A cool and ethereal cloud of vertical lines. What is this thing made of exactly? Curator: Precisely! Soto was after that ephemeral quality. This installation uses nylon threads hanging within a simple square frame. Light and movement become active materials. Editor: Ah, nylon. That gives it a really interesting mid-century feel when plastics were being wholeheartedly embraced. How would you say Soto utilizes this synthetic material? Curator: The threads, precisely arranged, respond to the slightest air currents or shifts in the viewer’s perspective, creating a dance of light and shadow. It feels like the solid, Cartesian grid is disintegrating. Editor: The use of nylon here almost renders this "solid Cartesian grid" as mutable and unstable as air itself, blurring boundaries between structure and flexibility. What draws me in, I guess, is the repetitive work of installation itself - labor almost disappearing into form. Curator: I agree completely. In a sense, this vibration transforms static architecture into an experience, making us hyper-aware of our surroundings. He saw vibration as life, pure energy. Editor: Well said! Soto saw vibration as pure energy and sought to convey this vibration through repetition. And I agree completely about making us hyper-aware of our surroundings; the simplicity is disarming! It asks us to look harder. It encourages close looking as an active form of seeing, connecting art and production together in surprising ways. Curator: Definitely an artwork that challenges traditional viewing practices. Seeing isn’t just about registering an image but about participating in the visual field, feeling its energetic presence. Editor: Absolutely! It pushes us to consider not just what the art *is*, but *how* it's made, experienced, and fits within broader cultural narratives of materiality. A very compelling interplay.