Ciudad en otoño (City in Autumn)

“Ciudad en otoño (City in Autumn)” (2025) represents one of the most emblematic pieces of Miguel Betancourt’s recent production within his Palingenesia collection. In this series, the artist explores the concept of rebirth and regeneration of forms, using the city not merely as a geographic space, but as a living organism that transforms with nature’s cycles.

Composition Analysis: The artwork stands out for its vibrant color palette, where fuchsias and magentas (colors inspiring the visual identity of this website) clash and merge with deep blues and ochres. This chromatic choice evokes the golden and melancholic light of autumn, yet reinterpreted under a contemporary and semi-abstract lens. The structure is based on a fragmented grid suggesting buildings, windows, and streets, inviting the viewer to reconstruct the image of a metropolis that appears in constant motion.

Materiality and Technique: Faithful to his innovative spirit, Betancourt uses a combination of oil on canvas and hemp in this piece. The inclusion of hemp is not only a technical choice, but an aesthetic statement; it brings an organic and rugged texture contrasting with the fluidity of oil. This materiality adds a tactile dimension to the work, allowing light and shadow to play with the support’s relief, endowing “Ciudad en otoño (City in Autumn)” with a physical depth that transcends the pictorial plane.

Meaning within Palingenesia: This work symbolizes the resilience of the urban landscape. Just as trees shed their leaves in autumn to be reborn in spring, Betancourt’s city decomposes into colors and textures to make way for a new visual reality. It is an invitation to perceive the urban environment as a setting of constant change and poetic beauty.