Jose Dávila I prefer to see with closed eyes - in conversation with Josef Albers

Based in Guadalajara, Mexico, Jose Dávila (1974- ) is known for his tridimensional works that combine familiar materials such as metal, glass, and boulders in a delicate equilibrium, as well as works that quote and reflect on the work of 20th century artists and architects.

Since the 2010s, Dávila has repeatedly drawn on the series Homage to the Square by Josef Albers (1888-1976), one of the most important abstract artists. While Albers experimented with color schemes in his paintings by layering squares, Dávila develops these squares using materials such as stainless steel, glass, and ceramic to create tridimensional works that change its forms and colors with time and light.

This exhibition, Dávila’s first full-scale exhibition in a Japanese museum, will feature a painting and prints from Albers’ Homage to the Square, alongside works by Dávila based on this series. The exhibition will show Albers’ exploration of form and color, which has fascinated people throughout the ages as well as Davila’s challenge to create new art through conversation with the art history. The exhibition space, designed by the artist himself, will be a tribute to Albers, and will also resonate with the architectural space designed by Arata Isozaki (1931-2022) using the cubic element as a motif.