Magic Square #5, De Luxe 1977

Hélio Oiticica’s Magic Square is a walk-in sculpture, a place, made with simple materials painted in vibrant colours. These aren’t just colours; they are sensations made solid. Look at the way the ochre panel vibrates next to the plum one, creating a tension, a dialogue. Then there is the yellow cube with its rhythmic cut-outs, like a Mondrian painting come to life! It's architectural but also raw and immediate. This work reminds me of the way Agnes Martin used grids as a structure to improvise within, each line a meditation. Oiticica invites us in, but on his terms. The work is both precise and intuitive, a push-pull of form and feeling. He reminds us that art is not about answers, but about the questions we ask ourselves.