Disco

In one of the most important shows of the year, MAAT presents Disco, an exhibition with more than 500 paintings by Vivian Suter – the Swiss-Argentine artist exploring the possibilities of painting, particularly its relationship with nature. 

Over the last four decades, Swiss-Argentine painter Vivian Suter (b. 1949) has been building a monumental body of work in Panajachel, in Guatemala. Disco, named after the artist’s dog, presents the culmination of this work, showcasing over 500 paintings, including 163 pieces being exhibited for the first time. Vivian Suter’s geographic location plays a pivotal role in her artistic practice, profoundly influencing both her creative process and the final outcome of her paintings.

Vivian Suter’s abstract paintings are the result of a daily, physical and emotional relationship with the materials and contingencies of nature in the place where she lives and works. Rain, earth, humidity and footprints of animals often inhabit her canvases, expressing the close interaction between the artist and the ecosystem in which the work is generated.

All the paintings gathered in this show are untitled and undated, although Vivian Suter believes they were made during the last ten years. She uses various techniques and materials, including acrylic, oil, and pigments mixed with fish glue. However, when they are painted outside, where they often remain for days, weeks, or months, the canvases are exposed to the sun, wind, rain, and humidity, incorporating dirt, leaves, debris, and insect remains, and even canine paw prints.

Disco comes after several moments of great international critical acclaim following her participation in Documenta 14, 2017 and her exhibitions at the Reina Sofia National Museum in Madrid and the Vienna Secession. Disco will travel to the Palais de Tokyo in the summer of 2025, as part of a collaborative effort between the two institutions.