Julio Le Parc

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Julio Le Parc (1928) came from a poor family of laborers in the city of Mendoza in Argentina. He began working as early as 13 years old, first repairing bikes, later as a worker in a leather goods plant, and in a library. He studied at night at the Academy of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires, and was politically engaged on campus. He was interested in the avant-garde art of the time, concrete art most of all. Not long before he was supposed to receive his degree, he dropped his studies as an act of rebellion against the imposed institutional hierarchy. He embarked on a six-year journey through the country, joining up with the activities of the radical left and anarchic movements. His return to academia ran concurrent to a turn of events on campus, when a group of students took control and demanded new methods of learning based on equality. In 1959, the artist emigrated to France, having received a grant from the French government. His political activism was sparked in May of 1968, designing and helping produce posters for the cause, and he was expelled from the country for a few months. Aside from numerous experiments with the use of light, Le Parc also created geometric sculptures in the public space, as well as a variety of games with the structure of exhibition spaces. Le Parc believes that there is a continuity that lies between the practice of audience engagement and his political awareness. (Source)