BARCELONA.- The Joan Miró Foundation presents Electrocosmos, the first solo exhibition in Barcelona of the work of Diana Larrea, as part of “The 24 Steps” cycle dedicated to Joan Miró and his role in the field of contemporary art, on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of his death on 25 December 1983.

Diana Larrea (Madrid, 1972) frequently works on projects connected with elements linked to the world of myths, such as plagues or labyrinths, which she relates to popular imagery such as classic American films. In 2000 she started producing actions for public places, which she films or photographs not only from a documentary angle but as artistic items in their own right.

For this exhibition in the Espai 13 Larrea is presenting a project based on Miró’s Constellations, a series of 23 gouaches produced in 1940-41 that represented a turning point in his career and marked the start of his mature period, characterised by the presence of heavenly bodies, birds and women.

The constellations have always been an important point of reference and orientation for mankind. In this respect, their symbolism is closely related to the structure of the labyrinth, a kind of diagram that is a reflection on Earth of the star system. Constellation and labyrinth thus embody man’s instinctive inclination to bring order and consistency to his own existence.

Based on these concepts, Diana Larrea fills the exhibition space with a labyrinth formed of rows of vertical white fluorescent tubes each on its own individual stand. This system of lights dispersed and arranged on an empty, dark background suggests an astral energy field, a microcosm of linear trajectories conceived as a poetic expression of the driving forces of the universe.

Electrocosmos invites the active participation of viewers, who find themselves immersed in a kind of initiation rite in a space in which they can either become lost in contemplation or prove their aptitude for orientation.