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Jean-Michel Othoniel's 'The Eye of the Night' Celebrates 22 Years of Oscar Niemeyer Museum

exhibition · 2026-04-19

French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel presents 25 works in the exhibition 'The Eye of the Night' at the Museu Oscar Niemeyer in Curitiba, curated by Marc Pottier. The show marks the museum's 22nd anniversary and strengthens cultural ties between Paraná and France. Occupying multiple spaces including the iconic 'Eye' and the water mirror, the installation features giant glass necklaces representing zodiac signs and lotus flowers. Othoniel recounts a personal memory of meeting architect Oscar Niemeyer in Rio de Janeiro, where they gazed at stars together, a poetic moment that inspired his first solo exhibition in Brazil. The artist discusses his conceptual choice of glass as a primary material, describing it as a universal substance that speaks to fragility and strength across civilizations. He has collaborated with glassblowers in India, Italy, Switzerland, Mexico, and Japan, discovering different cultural relationships with the material. Othoniel's international career includes participation in Documenta in Kassel in 1992. The exhibition runs concurrently with numerous other shows across Brazil, including 'Barracas e fachadas do nordeste' at Galeria Galatea Salvador, the 4th edition of the Frestas Triennial in Sorocaba, and 'Claudia Alarcón & Silät: viver tecendo' at MASP in São Paulo.

Key facts

  • Jean-Michel Othoniel's exhibition 'The Eye of the Night' features 25 works at the Museu Oscar Niemeyer.
  • The show celebrates the museum's 22nd anniversary and Franco-Brazilian cultural dialogue.
  • Curator Marc Pottier organized the exhibition, which includes giant glass zodiac necklaces and lotus sculptures.
  • Othoniel met architect Oscar Niemeyer in Rio de Janeiro, an encounter that inspired his Brazilian debut.
  • The artist chose glass for its universal presence and ability to convey fragility and hope.
  • He has worked with glassblowers across India, Italy, Switzerland, Mexico, and Japan.
  • Othoniel participated in Documenta in Kassel in 1992.
  • The exhibition is part of a wider Brazilian art season including shows in Salvador, Sorocaba, and São Paulo.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Museu Oscar Niemeyer
  • Documenta
  • Galeria Galatea Salvador
  • Nara Roesler
  • Sesc Sorocaba
  • Capela João de Camargo
  • Clube 28 de Setembro
  • Monumento Pelourinho
  • Monumento à Mãe Preta
  • CAIXA Cultural São Paulo
  • Phi Projetos
  • Cinnamon
  • Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil Belo Horizonte (CCBB BH)
  • Ateliê Marlene Barros
  • Ponto de Cultura Coletivo ZBM
  • Universidade de Aveiro
  • MASP
  • Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand
  • Janaina Torres Galeria
  • Casa Seva
  • FAMA Museu
  • IMS
  • Instituto Moreira Salles
  • 10x10 Photobooks
  • Biblioteca de Fotografia
  • Getty Research Institute
  • Museo Reina Sofía
  • Rijksmuseum
  • New York Public Library
  • Paris Photo
  • Livraria da Travessa
  • Simões de Assis
  • El Espacio 23
  • Coleção Jorge M. Pérez
  • Galeria Estúdio Reverso
  • NND|Azeco
  • NONADA SP
  • DAN Galeria
  • SP-Arte
  • Casa de Cultura do Parque
  • Instituto de Cultura Contemporânea (ICCo)
  • Lei Rouanet
  • Ministério da Cultura
  • banco BV
  • Laranjinha
  • Banco Itaú
  • Biblioteca Brasiliana Guita e José Mindlin - USP
  • Instituto Hercule Florence
  • Documenta Pantanal
  • BBM-USP
  • Centro Maria Antônia da USP
  • Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF)
  • Fonte
  • Carmo Johnson Projects
  • Itaú Cultural
  • Ilê Asipá
  • Pina Luz
  • Centro de Pesquisa e Formação do Sesc
  • PGHEA-MAC/USP
  • Arte! magazine

Locations

  • Curitiba
  • Paraná
  • Brazil
  • France
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Saint-Étienne
  • India
  • Italy
  • Switzerland
  • Mexico
  • Japan
  • Firozabad
  • Agra
  • Taj Mahal
  • Salvador
  • Bahia
  • Recife
  • Olinda
  • Zona Leste
  • São Paulo
  • Sorocaba
  • Nova York
  • Tóquio
  • Mumbai
  • Pequim
  • Jacarta
  • Belo Horizonte
  • Minas Gerais
  • Maranhão
  • Portugal
  • Aveiro
  • Santiago
  • La Puntana
  • Argentina
  • Gran Chaco
  • Paraguai
  • Campo Grande
  • Mato Grosso do Sul
  • Alameda Lorena
  • Jardins
  • Itu
  • Amsterdã
  • Netherlands
  • Madri
  • Spain
  • Los Angeles
  • United States
  • Miami
  • Florida
  • Vila Nova Conceição
  • Alto de Pinheiros
  • Boaçava
  • Vila Madalena
  • Santo Antônio da Patrulha
  • Rio Grande do Sul
  • Bela Vista
  • Bom Retiro
  • Porto Feliz
  • Mato Grosso
  • Grão-Pará
  • Amazônia
  • Pantanal
  • Algarve
  • Kassel
  • Germany

Sources

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