Guillermo Kuitca
Le Sacre, 1992
Born in 1961 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he lives and works, Guillermo Kuitca is one of Latin America’s leading contemporary artists. Inspired by the worlds of architecture, theater and cartography, his work transcends geographical boundaries and has been exhibited extensively worldwide.
Kuitca began to receive significant international attention in 1989 when he represented Argentina in the XVIII São Paulo Biennial. Other important early presentations include a 1991 “Projects” show at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, which traveled to the Newport Harbor Art Museum in California, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston, and his breakthrough installation of painted maps-on-mattresses at Documenta IX (1992). Kuitca has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions at venues including the Instituto de Arte Moderno (IVAM), Valencia, Spain (1993), Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH, and Whitechapel Art Gallery, London (1994-95), the Fondation Cartier, Paris (2000) and Daros Latinamerica Foundation, Zurich (2006). In 2003 the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid presented a retrospective covering the period 1983-2003, which traveled to the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano in Buenos Aires (MALBA). This was followed by a comprehensive retrospective, “Guillermo Kuitca: Everything, Paintings and Works on Paper, 1980-2008,” which premiered at the Miami Art Museum and traveled to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, and the Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, D.C. (2009-11). In 2007, Kuitca represented Argentina at the Venice Biennale.
The Drawing Center organized “Guillermo Kuitca: Diarios,” which traveled to the Broad Art Museum, East Lansing, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (2012-13). “Guillermo Kuitca: Philosophy for Princesses,” a major retrospective, was held at the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, Brazil (2014). Consisting of nearly 50 works from 1980 to 2013, this exhibition included his largest installation to date, Le Sacre (1992), a celebrated work featuring 54 beds, acquired by The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. In 2014, Kuitca presented “Les Habitants,” at the Fondation Cartier and subsequently curated “Les Visitants,” a large-scale exhibition of Fondation Cartier’s collection at the CCK, Buenos Aires (2017). The same year, Pasquart Kunsthaus, Biel, staged the most comprehensive exhibition of Kuitca’s work to date in Switzerland. In 2021, Kuitca staged “Les Citoyens,” a personal selection of 120 works from the Fondation Cartier’s collection in partnership with the Triennale Milano. His work was also featured in “Mondo Reale,” curated by Hervé Chandès, for the Triennale Milano’s 23rd International Exhibition (2022). In 2023, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Atchugarry in Uruguay presented “Guillermo Kuitca: Desenlace.”
Kuitca’s work is in museum collections worldwide, including the Art Institute of Chicago; Albright-Knox Art Gallery; Dallas Museum of Art; Daros Latinamerica Collection, Zurich; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Fundació La Caixa, Barcelona; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; MALBA – Colección Costantini, Buenos Aires; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; The Metropolitan Museum of Art; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museum Voorlinden, Netherlands; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Tate, London; and Walker Art Center. Kuitca had his first solo exhibition at Sperone Westwater in 1993, where he continues to exhibit regularly (1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2010, 2014 and 2022).
Downloadables
Guillermo Kuitca
Santa Fe Opera I, 2018
mixed media on paper
36 x 43 3/8 inches (91,5 x 110 cm)
38 1/2 x 46 1/4 inches (97,8 x 117,5 cm) frame
SW 18126
Guillermo Kuitca
Untitled (Covent Garden), 2018
mixed media
11 3/4 x 16 1/2 inches (29,8 x 41,9 cm)
19 1/4 x 24 inches (48,6 x 61 cm) frame
SW 19009
Guillermo Kuitca
Untitled, 2013
oil on canvas
91 3/4 x 79 5/8 inches (233 x 202 cm)
94 3/8 x 81 3/4 x 2 3/4 inches (240 x 207,5 x 7 cm) frame
SW 14053
Guillermo Kuitca
Untitled, 2008
oil on linen
77 1/2 x 148 3/4 inches (197 x 378 cm)
80 x 151 3/4 inches (203,2 x 385,4 cm) frame
SW 10078
Guillermo Kuitca
Untitled, 2014
graphite on canvas
77 1/2 x 54 7/8 inches (197 x 139,5 cm)
78 1/2 x 57 x 2 3/4 inches (199 x 144,8 x 7 cm) frame
SW 14048
Private Collection
Guillermo Kuitca
Untitled, 2013
collage on paper
102 3/8 x 86 1/4 inches (260 x 219 cm)
106 x 89 1/2 x 3 inches (269 x 227 x 7,5 cm) frame
SW 14050
Guillermo Kuitca
Untitled, 2013
oil on canvas
17 3/4 x 21 5/8 inches (45 x 55 cm)
18 1/2 x 22 1/2 x 2 inches (47 x 57 x 5 cm) frame
SW 14051
Guillermo Kuitca
Desesperación y aislamiento, 2012
oil on canvas
77 1/8 x 76 5/8 inches (196 x 194,5 cm)
79 x 78 1/2 x 2 3/4 inches (200,6 x 200 x 7 cm) frame
SW 14046
Private Collection
Guillermo Kuitca
Philosophy for Princes II, 2009
oil on linen
77 1/2 x 65 inches (197 x 165 cm)
80 x 67 1/2 inches (203 x 171,5 cm) frame
SW 10070
Private Collection
Guillermo Kuitca
Untitled, 2009
oil on linen
76 3/4 x 150 1/4 inches (195 x 382 cm)
79 1/4 x 152 3/4 inches (201,3 x 388 cm) frame
SW 10076
The Rachofsky Collection
Guillermo Kuitca
Untitled, 2009
oil on linen
19 3/4 x 35 1/2 inches (50 x 90 cm)
20 1/2 x 36 1/4 x 1 1/2 inches (52,1 x 92,1 x 4 cm) frame
SW 10086
Guillermo Kuitca
32 Seating Plans, 2007
mixed media on paper
11 x 8 1/2 inches (27,9 x 21,6 cm) each
16 5/8 x 14 1/8 inches (42,2 x 35,9 cm) each frame
SW 07291.1-32
Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York
Guillermo Kuitca
Everything, 2004
mixed media on canvas
120 x 65 inches (305 x 165 cm)
SW 05391
Collection of The Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana
Guillermo Kuitca
Everything, 2004
mixed media on canvas
4 parts; 120 x 65 inches (305 x 165 cm) each
120 x 260 inches (305 x 660,4 cm) overall
SW 05039
Collection Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
Guillermo Kuitca
Acoustic Mass I (Covent Garden), 2005
mixed media on paper
71 x 71 inches (180,3 x 180,3 cm)
74 1/4 x 74 1/4 inches (188,6 x 188,6 cm) frame
SW 05536
Guillermo Kuitca
Acoustic Mass III (Covent Garden), 2005
mixed media on paper
71 x 71 inches (180,3 x 180,3 cm)
74 1/4 x 74 1/4 inches (188,6 x 188,6 cm) frame
SW 05538
Guillermo Kuitca
Acoustic Mass IV (Covent Garden), 2005
mixed media on paper
71 x 71 inches (180,3 x 180,3 cm)
74 1/4 x 74 1/4 inches (188,6 x 188,6 cm) frame
SW 05539
Guillermo Kuitca
The Ring, 2002
oil and colored pencil on linen
5 panels; 77 1/8 x 322 3/8 inches (195,9 x 818,8 cm) overall
SW 02437
Private Collection
Guillermo Kuitca
Nocturnes (Confessional Booths), 2002
oil and colored pencil on linen
76 3/4 x 76 1/4 inches (195,6 x 194,3 cm)
SW 02426
The Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Collection, Miami
Guillermo Kuitca
Nocturnes (Congressional Seats), 2002
oil and colored pencil on linen
77 3/8 x 77 3/8 inches (196,5 x 196,5 cm)
SW 02425
Guillermo Kuitca
Trauerspiel, 2000
oil on canvas
77 x 127 3/4 inches (195,6 x 324,5 cm)
SW 01038
Collection of Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain
Guillermo Kuitca
Oblivion, 2006
oil on canvas
76 3/4 x 85 1/4 inches (195 x 216,5 cm)
SW 07224
Guillermo Kuitca
L'Encyclopedie (Marble Flooring Plan of a Salon in the Palace of the Marquis de Spinola, Paris) I, 1999
mixed media on linen
77 1/2 x 61 1/2 inches (196,9 x 156,2 cm)
SW 00043
Marieluise Hessel Collection, Hessel Museum of Art, Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York
Guillermo Kuitca
Untitled, 1998
oil on canvas
79 x 93 inches (200,7 x 236,2 cm)
SW 99071
Collection of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Guillermo Kuitca
Untitled, 1996
oil and acrylic on canvas
76 x 92 inches (193 x 233,7 cm)
SW 97063
Collection Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, Paris, France
Guillermo Kuitca
"Mozart - da Ponte" I, 1995
mixed media on canvas
71 x 92 1/8 inches (180,3 x 233,8 cm)
SW 95191
Collection of Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.
Guillermo Kuitca
Untitled, 1995
chalk and acrylic on canvas
71 x 92 inches (180,3 x 233,7 cm)
SW 95189
Collection of The Art Institute of Chicago
Guillermo Kuitca
Corona de espinas (Kindertotenlieder), 1994
oil and acrylic on canvas
94 1/2 x 74 3/4 inches (240 x 189,2 cm)
SW 99288
Collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art
Guillermo Kuitca
People on Fire, 1993
mixed media on canvas
76 x 110 inches (193 x 279,4 cm)
SW 93059
Collection of North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh
Guillermo Kuitca
Poema Pedagogico II, 1996
acrylic and graphite on canvas
74 x 75 inches (188 x 190,5 cm)
SW 97051
Collection of Patricia Phelps de Cisneros
Guillermo Kuitca
The Tablada Suite I, 1991
graphite and acrylic on canvas
94 1/8 x 74 3/4 inches (239 x 190 cm)
SW 94210
Collection of Milwaukee Art Museum
Guillermo Kuitca
Untitled, 1992
acrylic on mattress with wood and bronze legs
20 beds; 15 3/4 x 23 5/8 x 47 1/4 inches (40 x 60 x 120 cm) each
SW 94257 (1-20)
Collection of Tate, London
Guillermo Kuitca
Celestial Cushion, 1991
oil on mattress
94 1/2 in diameter x 4 inches deep (240 x 10 cm)
SW 11417
Guillermo Kuitca
Afghanistan, 1990
acyrlic on wood
67 x 118 inches (170 x 300 cm)
Collection of Daros-Latinamerica
Guillermo Kuitca
Den Haag - Praha, 1989
acrylic on mattresses
triptych; 76 3/4 x 56 x 2 1/4 inches (194,9 x 142,2 x 5,7 cm) each
SW 17231
Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar, The Netherlands
Guillermo Kuitca
Untitled, 1991
acrylic on canvas
111 x 146 3/4 inches (282 x 373 cm)
SW 94224
Collection of Fundación "La Caixa," Barcelona, Spain
Guillermo Kuitca
Untitled, 1990
acrylic on canvas
76 x 117 3/8 inches (193 x 298,2 cm)
SW 92591
Guillermo Kuitca
Gran corona de espinas, 1989
acrylic on canvas
117 x 78 1/2 inches (297,2 x 199,4 cm)
SW 98125
Guillermo Kuitca
El mar dulce, 1986
acrylic on canvas
78 3/4 x 118 inches (200 x 300 cm)
Private Collection
Guillermo Kuitca
Blau Bart (Bluebeard), 1985
oil on canvas
57 5/8 x 75 1/4 inches (146,3 x 191,1 cm)
SW 13262
Exhibitions
Signs/Words
Sperone Westwater, Lugano
24 May – 13 July 2013
Untitled (Giotto's O)
Sperone Westwater, Lugano
30 November 2012 – 15 February 2013
Summer Exhibition
Sperone Westwater, New York
8 July – 5 September 2008
Guillermo Kuitca
Castle to Castle
Sperone Westwater, New York
30 April – 12 June 1999
Guillermo Kuitca
Poema Pedagogico
Sperone Westwater, New York
3 May – 7 June 1997
Guillermo Kuitca
Puro Teatro
Sperone Westwater, New York
28 October – 22 December 1995
Guillermo Kuitca
The Tablada Suite (1991-1993)
Sperone Westwater, New York
30 April – 11 June 1994
Guillermo Kuitca
Sperone Westwater, New York
1 May – 12 June 1993
Greg Colson, Guillermo Kuitca, William Wegman
Sperone Westwater, New York
7 November – 31 December 1992
