Liliana Porter: the art of fragility

The work of Liliana Porter (Buenos Aires, 1941) turns the everyday into poetic reflections that explore fragility, action and the passage of time. This perspective comes to life in 'Huellas y Vestigios', a retrospective curated by Agustín Pérez Rubio , which occupies the rooms of the Casa de la Moneda Museum until March. The exhibition, organized in honor of the Tomás Francisco Prieto Medallística Prize that was awarded to her in 2023, celebrates a career that has consolidated Porter as one of the most prominent voices in contemporary Latin American art.

The institution, which throughout its history has awarded this same prize to artists such as Antoni Tàpies, Cristina Iglesias , Eva Lootz and Antonio Saura , wanted to highlight Porter's mastery of a wide variety of techniques, ranging from drawing and engraving to photography and sculpture. This skill is displayed in each of the five thematic sections of the exhibition, which covers his entire career, from his initial works of the 1960s, focused especially on engraving, to his most recent works, where the artist has experimented with formats such as video, installation and even theatre.

'Forty Years IIA (hand, over Line II 1973)', Liliana Porter (2013)

In the words of Isabel Valldecabres , President-General Director of the FNMT, "the exhibition acts as a chronicle of the strength of the line and the sculptural subtlety of the best Porter". One of the most unique aspects of Porter's work is her constant concern to explore the limit between image and reality. Through gestures, geometry, literature and humor, the artist recreates small scenes that are still episodes of everyday life, and transforms them into profound reflections. Her recurring characters, whom she directs as if they were actors, invite us to reflect on concepts such as the non-linearity of time or the delicate balance between fragility and strength that defines existence. Each work, conceptual, symbolic and poetic, invites us to rethink the world from a perspective that is both personal and universal.

Among the works on display, which combine emblematic pieces with previously unseen pieces, Porter highlights an installation of two small characters patiently unraveling a large web of threads. This scene, full of symbolism, speaks of the challenge of facing situations that seem unattainable, but are faced with optimism and perseverance. It is a metaphor for hope in the face of the complexity of the world, a recurring theme throughout Porter's artistic production.