Olga de Amaral in 'El Dorado: Myths of Gold' at Americas Society, New York, NY, USA

30 August 2023

From 6 September 2023 to 18 May 2024, Americas Society presents 'El Dorado: Myths of Gold', a two-part exhibition that will bring together artworks ranging from the Pre-Hispanic period to the contemporary era, exploring the myth of El Dorado as a foundation narrative of the Americas.

The exhibition presents artworks that challenge, reinforce, and question the continuity of the myth in the Americas until today. To accompany the show, Americas Society will present a series of public programs, including an academic symposium, and will publish a catalogue and a reader featuring texts by leading scholars about El Dorado.

The presentation includes Olga de Amaral's series of Estelas (2018). Among the most sculptural of her work, these “stones of gold” invoke the sacredness of ancient monolith circles, while showcasing the artist’s freedom from the rigidity of the textile grid. The strips of fabric are not held together by threads but embraced and softened with the malleability of gesso. We see only traces of the textile on the surface of the work. The Estelas appear as solid and heavy as gold itself but deny its weight as they seamlessly float and shift ever so slightly with a current of air.

Organized in collaboration with Fundación PROA in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Museo Amparo in Puebla, Mexico.

The exhibition is co-curated by Aimé Iglesias Lukin, Edward Sullivan, and Tie Jojima.

Find further information via AS/COS.