Provenance: Private Collection, Madrid

ABOUT THE WORK

During the 1950s in the city of Brno in the then post-AustroHungarian state of Czechoslovakia, three Czech researchers F. Pohl, V. Skala, and J. Haluz invested in Art Protis together with another procedure they regarded as Arteg, a technology that puts together colored wool fleece using a needle-punching machine. It became a fashion trend and later on were utilized in the creation of wall art. The goal of the movement was to have an Art Protis item in every Czech’s home. Best known for his modernist abstract paintings using oil, acrylic, and watercolor, as well as sketches in ink and lead, the well-traveled Federico Aguilar Alcuaz was introduced to the art during the 70s. Fascinated by the potential brought about by the novel technology and technique, he incorporated the process in his artwork and created many non-woven tapestries. This particular piece entitled Sardinia Sardonica was created by Alcuaz himself in Czechoslovakia using the technology and material provided by the Czech workshop.