Celebrating a Pioneer of Sensitive Geometry
From 7 September 2024 to 23 February 2025, the Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC) in Mexico City hosted a comprehensive retrospective of Myra Landau's work, featuring nearly 250 pieces spanning over five decades.
Curated by Pilar García, the exhibition not only highlighted Landau's contributions to geometric abstraction but also celebrated her legacy as a woman who dared to innovate and redefine artistic boundaries in an era when such recognition was rare for women.
Central to the exhibition was the notion of 'Sensitive Geometry' — a term first coined by Brazilian critic Roberto Pontual in 1978 to describe a more intuitive, organic approach to geometric abstraction. Far from rigid or mechanical, this geometry embraced gesture, imperfection, and emotional resonance.
In Landau’s work, 'Sensitive Geometry' became a language of freedom — where hand-drawn lines vibrate with movement, and forms are shaped by inner rhythm rather than strict rules.
Curator Pilar García, who dedicated over a decade to researching Landau's oeuvre, has revitalized the notion of Sensitive Geometry for a new generation. Reflecting on Landau’s legacy, she notes:
“ It was a mystery to understand why Myra Landau had been made invisible in the artistic canon, especially when her work enriched the field of abstraction from a unique sensibility.” - Pilar García
For an in-depth perspective of Myra Landau's life and work, the catalogue 'Myra Landau. Geometría Sensible / Sensitive Geometry' — authored by Pilar García, Dawn Ades, and Cecilia Fajardo-Hill and made possible thanks to the MUAC — is available online here.
For more information about the exhibition, visit the MUAC’s official website here.
