Tate Modern in London will open a major retrospective titled "Julio Le Parc: Light. Colour. Action." on June 11, less than two weeks after the Argentine artist's death at age 97. The exhibition, the first British museum retrospective for Le Parc, brings together 75 works including one created specifically for the show, and features a poem he wrote about the end of his life. Curator Val Ravaglia noted that Le Parc had hoped to attend the opening and was trying to book a Eurostar ticket before his death in Paris.
This exhibition matters because it honors a pioneer of kinetic and optical art whose work laid the groundwork for contemporary immersive and interactive art. Le Parc, a founding member of the Groupe de Recherche d’Art Visuel (GRAV), was extremely prolific and influential, yet Ravaglia laments he is not better known. The show serves as both a tribute and a reminder of his foundational role in installation art and viewer participation, with almost all works coming directly from his studio.