Lygia Clark “Retrospective” Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin
Kyla McDonald, Flash Ash
October 2025
Mies van der Rohe’s idea for the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin was based on an earlier project for which he conceived of a space where the “barrier between the artwork and the living community is erased” and the works become “elements in space against an open and ever-changing background.” Such ideas are remarkably close to the Brazilian artist Lygia Clark’s innovative practice, which sought to disrupt the distinction between artwork and space, while equally redefining the relationship between artwork and viewer. This creative affinity remains unstated by curators Irina Hiebert Grun and Maike Steinkamp, but it sits thoughtfully in the background of this major retrospective of Clark. The glass pavilion’s usual challenges — endless daylight, lack of walls, and its scene-stealing beauty — here serve only to enhance the exhibition’s chronological unfolding, providing the perfect backdrop to appreciate Clark’s deeply enthralling and radical work. […]