Beflügelt 1949

Curator: Here we have Leo Leuppi's "Beflügelt," created in 1949, a striking example of his work with mixed-media, collage and textile art. Editor: It's captivating! There is such a striking contrast and yet it is calming, or restrained even. The interplay between the geometric background and the white shape makes you want to approach it closer. Curator: Absolutely. Leuppi’s process involved carefully layering and manipulating fiber and paper. The visible texture of the textile suggests a deep engagement with materials and labor, echoing a mid-century interest in process over pure representation. Editor: Placing it in the post-war period, I can’t help but wonder about its socio-political context. Abstraction became a language of resilience and new beginnings. The artist used geometric and organic patterns in a non-objective composition suggesting transformation. Curator: I agree. The artist seemed determined to push past established artistic norms by bringing together varied materials into an interwoven pattern. The tactile nature challenges the boundary separating 'high' art from textile craft traditions. It acknowledges a spectrum of makers. Editor: Right, this challenges the hierarchy of art and craft which carries its own history rooted in gendered labor. How often has "women's work", especially with textiles, been sidelined from fine art conversations? Looking closely at the layered composition, one cannot miss the visual impact achieved. Curator: True. It's clear that material agency played a vital role here. The frayed edges of the fiber remind us of production—its materiality a reminder of the artist's studio as an active workspace. Editor: This emphasis allows viewers to reimagine their own place within global power relations shaping how we understand art objects across different locations in relation to our identities. In this case the collage makes us explore the notions of history, society, politics, and personal subjectivity. Curator: It certainly provides rich opportunities for material and theoretical exploration. Editor: Absolutely. "Beflügelt" serves not only to please the eye, but to start conversation as well.