The idea for both the Troncos and the works called Esferas that came after them, also constructed of triangles, could have originated from the studies Gego carried out with her students at the Instituto de Diseño, Fundación Neumann-INCE. This study aimed at creating stackable forms by analyzing not only the volume of the geometric bodies, but also the spatial relationships between them, and it demonstrated the way in which volumetric forms, even spherical ones, can be stacked to occupy space in a rational manner, thereby eliminating as many gaps as possible. These studies were published by her students, Leonel Vera and Pedro Mancilla, and were later completed in collaboration with Ruth Auerbach. They also studied the system underlying the drawings, a system of spatial relations necessary to inscribe volumes. That volumes can be stacked endlessly once they are compacted makes the resulting pieces—solid, geometric bodies—impenetrable.

In the actual execution of her work, Gego, drawing on the theories discussed above, puts forth aerial, transparent volumes that can be penetrated by the eye, and she used a number of resources to personalize them. (Text taken from the monograph Gego. Obra completa, 1955–1990).

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Video:
In “How to Box Air” John Robinette, former CPPC Manager of Storage and Installation, explains the intricacies of packing, shipping, and installing the large-scale yet light-weight sculptures of Venezuelan artist Gego. This video was produced for the Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros by El Tigre Productions.