Aurèlia Muñoz, Beings
By Charlotte Stace
Aurèlia Muñoz: Beings brings the extraordinary world of Catalan textile artist Aurèlia Muñoz (1926 - 2011) to MACBA, celebrating the centenary of her birth with a major retrospective spanning more than 50 years of her career. A pioneer of contemporary textile art, Muñoz transformed traditional techniques such as embroidery, weaving and macramé into ambitious sculptures and installations, challenging the idea that textiles belonged solely to the world of craft.
The exhibition follows her artistic development from her early Surrealist inspired collages and large embroideries to intricate macramé structures, sculptural books and her famous Birds-Kites, suspended forms inspired by nature that seem to float through the air. It also includes previously unseen drawings, models and installations made from handmade paper.
Nature was a constant source of inspiration for Muñoz, and her work explores the relationship between humans, animals, plants and the environment. Through her innovative forms and experimental use of materials, she helped redefine what textile art could be.