Adriano Costa on Crack Addiction, Spiritual Art, and Rejecting Found Object Labels

Adriano Costa, a São Paulo-born artist, discusses his practice in an email interview with Ross Simonini. Costa rejects the term 'found materials,' viewing all objects—from bronze to plastic—as equal. His work spans sculpture, painting, drawing, collage, and writing, often arranged into meticulous installations. He describes a 'pre-sculptoric' phase during a 2009–12 series of carpets, following a crack addiction crisis. Costa criticizes contemporary art's appropriation of spirituality, citing ayahuasca exploitation and indigenous genocide in Brazil. He maintains an active Instagram presence, sharing all his work openly. Costa has exhibited at Kölnischer Kunstverein, the Modern Institute in Glasgow, and Documenta in Athens. He currently has a show titled 'THIS ME ME ME IS US' at Lungley Gallery in London. The artist, who studied in São Paulo and once ran a venue called Torre do Dr Zero, emphasizes freedom and rejects stylistic repetition.