Anna Bella Geiger's Retrospective at MASP and Sesc Paulista Deconstructs Traditional Self-Portraiture
The exhibition titled 'Brasil nativo, Brasil alienígena' by Anna Bella Geiger is currently on display at MASP and Sesc Avenida Paulista, bringing her work into the spotlight of public discourse, particularly around identity. Since the 1960s, Geiger, a white artist from Rio de Janeiro with European roots, has developed a unique body of work that diverges from the Concrete/Neoconcrete tradition. This retrospective highlights her varied media and her innovative approach to self-portraiture. Notable works include self-portraits from 1951, the 1960s, and 2003, along with the influential 1976/77 piece 'Brasil nativo/Brasil alienígena,' which challenges stereotypes of Indigenous Brazilians. Additionally, her series 'Diário de um artista brasileiro' (1975) reflects her struggles as a woman and Latin American artist in a male-dominated field.
Key facts
- The exhibition 'Brasil nativo, Brasil alienígena' by Anna Bella Geiger is on view simultaneously at MASP and Sesc Avenida Paulista.
- Anna Bella Geiger is a Brazilian artist of European descent based in Rio de Janeiro.
- Her work consistently investigates identity issues through diverse media including photography, printmaking, video, and installation.
- A key method in her practice is the use and deconstruction of cartography.
- The exhibition traces her deconstruction of the traditional self-portrait using parodic and allegorical procedures from the 1970s onward.
- The seminal 1976/77 work 'Brasil nativo/Brasil alienígena' critiques stereotypes of Indigenous people and 'Brazilianness' from the dictatorship era.
- Geiger's work distinguishes itself from the dominant Concrete and Neoconcrete movements in Brazilian art.
- The show includes three self-portraits from 1951, the 1960s, and 2003 that demonstrate her evolution from traditional adaptation to ironic self-instrumentalization.
Entities
Artists
- Anna Bella Geiger
- Cindy Sherman
- Carlos Zilio
- Gabriel Borba
- Aloísio Magalhães
- Regina Silveira
- Nelson Leirner
- Tomás Toledo
- Sidney Amaral
Institutions
- MASP
- Sesc Avenida Paulista
- MAM-Rio
- Arte Brasileiros
Locations
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro
- Santo Amaro