A Spark of Light in this World
Texts by Céline Delavaux, Pascale Jeanneret, and Sarah Lombardi
This monographic publication dedicated to Magalí Herrera (1914-1992) reveals for the first time the large body of work by this Uruguayan-born artist and the many personal archives in the holdings of the “Collection de l’Art Brut”. In 1967, Magalí Herrera began corresponding with Jean Dubuffet, who included her drawings in the holdings of the “Compagnie de l’Art Brut” in Paris. For several years, they maintained an epistolary relationship in which Herrera invested herself intensely. For this reason, she entrusted her husband with the task of donating her drawings and personal archives to the “Collection de l’Art Brut” after her death.
Magalí Herrera (1914–1992) was born in Rivera, Uruguay. Raised in an illustrious family, she taught herself dance, theatre and photography, as well as organising poetry evenings. In addition to poems, she wrote science-fiction short stories, some of which have never been published. Around 1952, she began to paint occasionally, then took it up exclusively during the early 1960s, working day and night in a trance-like state.
Sarah Lombardi is an art historian and has been director of Collection de l’Art Brut since 2013. She has made the enhancement of the museum’s collections a priority since she was appointed. Her main initiatives include the Art Brut biennales, themed exhibitions devoted exclusively to works from the museum’s holdings, and the creation of a new series of bilingual (French, English) publications entitled “Art Brut, la Collection”.
Exhibition: Collection de l’Art Brut Lausanne March 8 – 1 September 1, 2024
