ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

León Ferrari Retrospective Opens in São Paulo and New York, Spanning Six Decades of Provocative Work

exhibition · 2026-04-23

An extensive retrospective of Argentine artist León Ferrari, named 'León Ferrari, por um mundo sem Inferno,' is set to launch at Galeria Nara Roesler in São Paulo on April 10, followed by its debut in New York on April 26. Curated by Anna Ferrari and Lisette Lagnado, the exhibition showcases more than seventy works spanning from 1962 to 2009, featuring the provocative 1965 artwork 'La Civilización Occidental y Cristiana.' Ferrari, who lived from 1920 until 2013, resided in São Paulo for fifteen years after escaping Argentina's dictatorship in 1977. His influence endures through the Fundación Augusto y León Ferrari, which is currently working on his catalogue raisonné. Additionally, 'Palabras Ajenas' is on display at the Pérez Art Museum Miami until April 14, with a European tour organized by Museo Reina Sofia planned for 2020.

Key facts

  • Retrospective 'León Ferrari, por um mundo sem Inferno' opens at Galeria Nara Roesler in São Paulo on April 10, 2026.
  • The exhibition will also open at Galeria Nara Roesler's New York location on April 26, 2026.
  • Curated by Lisette Lagnado with Anna Ferrari of the Fundación Augusto y León Ferrari Arte y Acervo.
  • Features over 70 works from 1962–2009 in various media including wire sculptures, heliographs, and Braille collages.
  • Includes the controversial 1965 piece 'La Civilización Occidental y Cristiana,' which won the Golden Lion at the 2007 Venice Biennale.
  • Ferrari lived in São Paulo for 15 years after fleeing Argentina in 1977; his son Ariel was killed by the military dictatorship.
  • He participated in the 21st São Paulo Biennial in 1981 and created sound sculptures exhibited at the Pinacoteca de São Paulo.
  • The Fundación Augusto y León Ferrari is preparing his catalogue raisonné and will open the Taller Ferrari in Buenos Aires.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Galeria Nara Roesler
  • Fundación Augusto y León Ferrari Arte y Acervo
  • Galeria Pater
  • Centro Cultural Recoleta
  • 52ª Bienal Internacional de Veneza
  • Ateliê Aster
  • 21ª Bienal de São Paulo
  • Pinacoteca de São Paulo
  • Museu Brasileiro da Escultura (MuBE)
  • Museu de Arte Moderna de Buenos Aires (Mamba)
  • Academia Albertina de Torino
  • RedCAT Carl Arts
  • Pacific Standard Time
  • Pérez Art Museum Miami
  • Museo Reina Sofia
  • Galeria Galatea Salvador
  • Sesc Sorocaba
  • Capela João de Camargo
  • Clube 28 de Setembro
  • 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
  • El Espacio 23
  • Coleção Jorge M. Pérez
  • Janaina Torres Galeria
  • FAMA Museu
  • IMS - Instituto Moreira Salles
  • Biblioteca de Fotografia
  • 10×10 Photobooks
  • Getty Research Institute
  • New York Public Library
  • Paris Photo
  • Livraria da Travessa
  • Simões de Assis
  • Galeria Estúdio Reverso
  • NONADA SP
  • NND|Azeco
  • DAN Galeria
  • Casa de Cultura do Parque
  • Instituto de Cultura Contemporânea (ICCo)
  • Biblioteca Brasiliana Guita e José Mindlin - USP
  • Instituto Hercule Florence
  • Documenta Pantanal
  • Instituto Moreira Salles (IMS)
  • Centro Maria Antônia da USP
  • Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF)
  • Itaú Cultural
  • Ilê Asipá
  • Pina Luz
  • Centro de Pesquisa e Formação do Sesc
  • Secretaria da Cultura (Secultes)
  • Fundo de Cultura do Estado do Espirito Santo (Funcultura)
  • Política Nacional Aldir Blanc (PNAB)
  • Ministério da Cultura (MINC)
  • Midiateca Capixaba
  • Governo do Estado
  • Museu de Arte do Espírito Santo (MAES)
  • Museu de Arte do Espírito Santo Dionísio Del Santo (MAES)
  • Acervo Ronaldo Domingues de Almeida
  • Grupo Quebranto
  • Serviço de Repressão à Mendicância
  • Império Russo
  • Coleção Cyrillo Hercules Florence
  • Fonte
  • Carmo Johnson Projects
  • Artsy
  • Museo de Bellas Artes
  • Bienal de Veneza
  • Museo Reina Sofía
  • Artnet
  • arte!brasileiros
  • La Nación
  • Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo (MAM-SP)
  • Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires (MAMBA)
  • SP-Arte
  • ARTE!Brasileiros
  • Fundação Augusto e León Ferrari Arte e Acervo (FALFAA)
  • Guggenheim
  • Movimento Grevista Negro
  • CAIXA
  • Governo do Brasil
  • Rijksmuseum
  • Simões de Assis (Lorena)
  • Lei Rouanet
  • banco BV
  • Laranjinha
  • Banco Itaú
  • BBM-USP
  • Itaú Cultural (IC)
  • PGHEA-MAC/USP

Locations

  • São Paulo
  • Brazil
  • New York
  • United States
  • Buenos Aires
  • Argentina
  • Milão
  • Italy
  • Veneza
  • Porto Feliz
  • Mato Grosso
  • Grão-Pará
  • Salvador
  • Bahia
  • Perdizes
  • Recife
  • Pernambuco
  • Olinda
  • Zona Leste
  • La Puntana
  • Gran Chaco
  • Paraguay
  • Los Angeles
  • Miami
  • Madrid
  • Spain
  • Europe
  • Sorocaba
  • Tóquio
  • Japan
  • Mumbai
  • India
  • Pequim
  • China
  • Jacarta
  • Indonesia
  • Belo Horizonte
  • Minas Gerais
  • Maranhão
  • Portugal
  • Aveiro
  • Santiago
  • Campo Grande
  • Itu
  • São Paulo-SP
  • Fortaleza
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Algarve
  • Cidade Universitária
  • Vila Madalena
  • Santo Antônio da Patrulha
  • Rio Grande do Sul
  • Boaçava
  • Alto de Pinheiros
  • Bela Vista
  • Vila Nova Conceição
  • Jardim Paulista
  • Centro
  • Funcionários
  • Bom Retiro
  • Jardim Faculdade
  • Amazônia
  • Pantanal
  • Switzerland
  • Zurich
  • France
  • Amsterdã
  • Netherlands
  • Torino
  • Vitória
  • Espírito Santo
  • Ilha de Itaparica
  • Recôncavo Baiano
  • Zona Leste paulistana
  • subúrbio ferroviário soteropolitano
  • Venice
  • Mato Grosso do Sul
  • Nova York
  • Madri
  • Florida
  • Ceará
  • Barra Funda

Sources