Volumen Vertical 1972

This is Volumen Vertical by Julio Le Parc. Though undated, it is representative of his work with light and movement, most famously done in the 1960s. Le Parc was Argentinian but spent much of his career in Paris. His work speaks to several key features of post-war culture. First, is the internationalization of the art world; no longer dominated by Paris and New York, the 60s saw artists from Latin America play a more central role. Second, is the collapse of barriers between media; Le Parc's work brings visual art closer to the world of theater and performance. It is designed to be interactive. Third, is the critique of the museum; Le Parc and his colleagues sought to make art that went beyond institutional control. Understanding work like Le Parc's involves looking at the history of exhibition practices and the changing place of the artist in society.