The sculptures of Leonor Antunes (1972, Lisbon) are conceived and installed in response to a given spatial situation, its architecture and history as well as the physical or sensory experience of that place. Her works frequently refer to lesser-known 20th-century artists, architects and designers, often female, who established themselves in male-dominated fields. By referencing the work, forms and processes of these influential yet relatively marginalised figures, Antunes weaves a parallel set of narratives that relate to history, to her heritage and to the way in which we make sense of the past in the present. This quest for transmission can also be seen in the attention she devotes to manufacturing processes and to materials shaped by time and wear. Whether natural or industrial, these materials are chosen both for their aesthetic qualities and for their historical and symbolic significance. The artist’s fascination with craftmanship, and her wish to collaborate with studios where old and traditional skills are kept alive, also places her work firmly within modernism’s retooling of such practices, to make them part of a contemporary vernacular.

The works proposed for the Mudam Collection form part of the exhibition joints, voids and gaps presented at Mudam in 2020–21. The suspended sculptures known as discrepancies with M.S. (2020) evoke the Droguinhas (Little Nothings) created by Mira Schendel (1919–1988) between 1965 and 1966. Antunes uses the force of gravity to underline the organic aspect of these elements and the random nature of their lines. The floor sculpture, entitled discrepancies with L.C. (2020), is made of linoleum, which is also a natural material. Here, the artist takes her inspiration from a painting by Lygia Clark (1920–1988) that forms part of the series Superfícies Moduladas (Modulated Surfaces) (1952–57). The motif with its articulated horizontal and vertical planes, is enlarged and adapted to its exhibition space. Antunes also incorporates two elements in brass and in steel – Untitled (Lamps) (2018) – bringing an intimate dimension to the work.