Cube with Ambigous Space 1981

Curator: Stepping into the realm of optical illusion, we have Jesús Rafael Soto's "Cube with Ambiguous Space," created in 1981. It's crafted with resin and invites viewers into a play of perception. Editor: It's… unsettling. All those lines create a vibrating, almost dizzying effect. The cube itself feels both solid and like it could disappear any second. Curator: Exactly! Soto's exploration of space and perception through simple materials like resin challenges traditional notions of sculpture. Think about the labour involved in precisely arranging these lines within the resin—it's a very controlled, almost industrial process creating this chaotic effect. Editor: It makes me think about controlled environments versus the instability of reality, about how the imposition of rigid structures – like this cube – often leads to perceptual disruptions and challenges our understanding of space. Its hard to imagine this kind of kinetic piece devoid of political context, especially when one considers Soto was Venezuelan. Curator: I see your point, and Soto was engaging with wider movements like Op Art and Kinetic Art, where the emphasis was shifting to viewer perception. How does the object affect the viewer and vice versa? The moiré patterns we perceive aren't just optical tricks. Editor: These moiré patterns could also represent the blurred boundaries in life itself. The illusion of movement traps the viewer into questioning whether what we're seeing is authentic or simply created. As if these geometric illusions force one to question the structures imposed on us as an audience that shape our understanding of existence. Curator: Absolutely. I’d also emphasize the use of resin, a common industrial material. It really pulls down this piece away from, lets say, the pretenses of high art. Editor: So it becomes more of a reflection of social realities and labour practices of its time. It highlights those questions of perception and illusion but embeds them in real-world scenarios of work and experience. That feels powerful to me. Curator: I agree, considering Soto was at the helm of exploring optical effects within artwork, but the choice of material definitely situates the artwork somewhere completely different. Editor: Definitely adds layers of complexity beyond mere optical trickery. Curator: An intentional ambiguity that still sparks conversations decades later. Editor: An intersectional piece through and through!