Hélio Oiticica's Early Works at Galerie Lelong Explore Neo-Concretist Origins

Galerie Lelong in New York City presented an exhibition of Brazilian artist Hélio Oiticica's early works from November 3, 2018 to January 26, 2019. The show focused on his Spatial Relief and Drawings from 1955–59, highlighting his development within Neo-Concretism. Oiticica, mentored by Ivan Serpa and part of Grupo Frente alongside Lygia Clark, moved beyond Constructivism to explore abstraction as a means for social reform. Key pieces like Metaesquema 212 (1957) and Sêco II (1957) demonstrated his use of squares and diagonals to create dynamic visual fields. The exhibition included works such as Untitled (1955) and Relevo Espacial (1959-60), a hanging planar relief with triangles that produced perceptual folds. While some pieces were uneven studio exercises, the display offered insight into Oiticica's rigorous exploration of form and his influence from artists like Kazimir Malevich and El Lissitzky. The show was located at 528 West 26th Street in New York City.