Bio
Antonio Asis (Buenos Aires, 1932 – Paris, 2019) was a renowned Argentine abstract and kinetic artist, considered one of the key protagonists of the kinetic art movement to emerge from Latin America. His lifelong commitment to exploring the dynamic relationship between light, color, and perception began in his native city. At the age of 14, he enrolled in the Escuela de Bellas Artes, continuing his studies at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes Prilidiano Pueyrredón until 1950. During this formative period in the 1940s, he engaged with the vibrant post-war abstraction scene in Buenos Aires, which was greatly influenced by European geometric abstraction.
A pivotal moment in Asis's career was his move to Paris in 1956. In the French capital, he quickly immersed himself in the avant-garde international circle of kinetic and Op Art pioneers, befriending influential figures such as Jesús Rafael Soto, Victor Vasarely, Yaacov Agam, and Pol Bury. This new environment focused his research, leading him to investigate the principles of light, movement, and chromatic vibration. He conducted early experiments with photograms and monochrome compositions before developing the signature style that would define his oeuvre in the following decades.
Asis is best known for his iconic "interference" works, which successfully translated the illusion of movement into a static format. This distinct body of work includes his series of perforated metal plates superimposed over painted surfaces—often featuring geometric compositions of circles and squares. The combination of the metal "grille" and the underlying geometric forms creates an optical effect where the surface appears to change and vibrate as the viewer shifts their position. He also explored the 'tactile' dimension of perception with works that incorporated physical fixtures, such as spheres, onto the canvas, alluding to a wider conception of perception beyond just sight.
In 1971, Antonio Asis co-founded the Groupe Position in Paris, alongside fellow Argentine expatriate artists like Hugo Demarco and Horacio García Rossi. The collective offered diverse approaches to kinetic problems, focusing on the development of color vibrations and the mediation of light. Asis's systematic research into the grid, movement, and color relations positioned him centrally within this group. His works demonstrated an elegant simplicity, using basic geometric elements and color theory to tease the viewer's eye and create complex visual realities.
The legacy of Antonio Asis is cemented by his significant contributions to Op and Kinetic Art. His creations are held in numerous major collections worldwide, including the Musée National d'Art Moderne - Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation (CIFO) in Miami. Active until his death in 2019, Asis consistently developed his theories on visual perception, leaving behind a profound body of work that continues to engage audiences with its dynamic, optical, and subtly interactive qualities.
SELECTION OF SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2021: Antonio Asis, The Drawing Room, East Hampton, New York, USA.
2017: Paintings on Paper 1960-76, The Drawing Room, East Hampton, New York, USA (Included the exhibition Antonio Asis: Paintings on Paper in New York City).
2015: Antonio Asis: Cercles Concentriques (1961 - 2011), The Drawing Room, East Hampton, New York, USA.
2009: Hommage à Antonio Asis, Espace Meyer Zafra, Paris, France.
1971: Estudio Actual, Caracas, Venezuela.
