La Boite de Villanueva (Edition Denise René) 1967

Jesus Rafael Soto made this sculpture, La Boite de Villanueva, constructing it from painted wood and silkscreen on plexiglass. It exemplifies the kinetic art movement, emphasizing the viewer's active role. The regular lines and the interaction between layers invite us to move around the object, revealing how Soto challenged traditional notions of art as static and detached, demanding instead the viewer’s physical involvement to complete the piece. Soto was deeply engaged with Venezuela’s project of modernization. The artwork alludes to the Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas designed by Carlos Raúl Villanueva, a UNESCO world heritage site and a symbol of the nation’s aspirations for progress. Soto here reflects on Venezuela's place on the world stage, during a period of vast social and architectural change. To understand Soto's place in that transformation, one might consult architectural journals, political manifestos, and exhibition catalogues from that period. The goal is to read the artwork as embedded in a specific time and place.