Aurèlia Muñoz. Beings

From 29 April to 7 September, the Reina Sofía Museum will present an exhibition devoted to the work of the artist from Catalonia, Aurèlia Muñoz (Barcelona, 1926 - 2011), a key figure to understand contemporary textile art. Her work combines ancestral techniques with contemporary resources to focus on the impact of post-industrial crises in land, water and air ecosystems.

Aurèlia Muñoz. Beings was involved in movements such as Nouvelle Tapisserie and the Catalonian Tapestry School. In her work, she transcended the spheres of fabric, fibre or craft.  Her early collages and assemblages with Surrealist and Gothic influences and large-scale pictorial embroidery pieces lead into an unseen ensemble of macramé structures from institutional collections in Spain, Europe and the United States.  Her emblematic kite-sculptures and her final installations made out of handmade paper are also key to the exhibition, as is a large selection of models and drawings which are on display for the first time ever.   

The exhibition, whose title refers to one of the essential concepts in Muñoz’s work, explores more than fifty years of her multifaceted career. It offers an unprecedented vision that seeks to shed new light on her unique legacy.  

Image Credit:

• Aurèlia Muñoz, Ocell-estel B2, 1982 MACBA Collection. Regional Government of Catalonia Collection. Post-war Art and the Second Avant-garde National Collection. Photography: Josep Gri Espinagosa. © Heirs of Aurèlia Muñoz. Acknowledgement:  Barcelona Contemporary Art Museum (MACBA)