Rafael Barrios: The Park Avenue Project

Released in conjunction with Rafael Barrios's monumental Park Avenue installation, this volume offers the first comprehensive English-language examination of the Venezuelan American artist's four-decade exploration of perceptual phenomena. The publication traces Barrios's development of "Virtualism"—his distinctive approach to sculptural illusion that challenges viewers' spatial comprehension through precisely calibrated geometric forms. The nine massive steel sculptures installed along Park Avenue, each weighing over 2,000 pounds, appear to defy gravity through Barrios's masterful manipulation of form, demonstrating how his work transforms dramatically as viewers move around them—from seemingly substantial geometric volumes when viewed frontally to nearly invisible quarter-inch profiles from the side. Through detailed photography capturing the sculptures' interaction with changing light conditions and urban context, alongside documentation of earlier works, the publication illuminates how Barrios's practice bridges the legacies of Latin American geometric abstraction with contemporary investigations of perception, space, and public engagement.

Published by The City of New York's Department of Parks and Recreation, New York, 2012

Essay by Robert C. Morgan

Designed by Wedeking | Laun

Hardcover, fully illustrated, 67 pages

_{Artworks © Rafael Barrios}