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Jesús Rafael Soto’s Penetrable in New York City
Jesús Rafael Soto's interactive sculpture Penetrable (1990) is on long-term loan to The Hispanic Society Museum & Library (HSM&L). The sculpture will be installed on HSM&L's Upper Terrace, located in Upper Manhattan on the west side of Broadway between 155th and 156th Streets, through the spring of 2026.
This collaboration celebrates the 100-year anniversary of the birth of the Venezuelan artist and marks the first time a sculpture from Soto’s Penetrables series will be showcased outdoors to be experienced by New York City’s diverse audiences.
This continues the artwork's journey, following two decades of loans at prominent institutions across the Americas including: the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (2003); The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (2004); Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City (2006); Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas at Austin (2007–2009); Los Angeles County Museum of Art (2011‒ 2017); and Olana State Historic Site in Hudson, New York (2017‒ 2018).
Soto, a visionary artist from Venezuela, played a pivotal role in the development of Kinetic Art in Paris during the 1950s and 1960s, as well as in the Geometric Abstraction movement in his home country. His work was characterized by a connection to landscape, perception, and interactivity with viewers, resulting in immersive experiences that blurred the boundaries between art and its audiences.
To learn more about HSM&L, and their programming, visit their website.
Image: Jesús Rafael Soto (1923–2005), Penetrable, 1990. Steel, aluminum, and plastic hoses, 508 x 508 x 508 cm. Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros. Installation at the Hispanic Society Museum & Library, New York City, June 2023. Photo by Hiram Trejo.
This collaboration celebrates the 100-year anniversary of the birth of the Venezuelan artist and marks the first time a sculpture from Soto’s Penetrables series will be showcased outdoors to be experienced by New York City’s diverse audiences.
This continues the artwork's journey, following two decades of loans at prominent institutions across the Americas including: the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (2003); The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (2004); Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City (2006); Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas at Austin (2007–2009); Los Angeles County Museum of Art (2011‒ 2017); and Olana State Historic Site in Hudson, New York (2017‒ 2018).
Soto, a visionary artist from Venezuela, played a pivotal role in the development of Kinetic Art in Paris during the 1950s and 1960s, as well as in the Geometric Abstraction movement in his home country. His work was characterized by a connection to landscape, perception, and interactivity with viewers, resulting in immersive experiences that blurred the boundaries between art and its audiences.
To learn more about HSM&L, and their programming, visit their website.
Image: Jesús Rafael Soto (1923–2005), Penetrable, 1990. Steel, aluminum, and plastic hoses, 508 x 508 x 508 cm. Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros. Installation at the Hispanic Society Museum & Library, New York City, June 2023. Photo by Hiram Trejo.
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