Hélio Oiticica's 'To Organize Delirium' Exhibition Tours U.S. with Immersive Installations
The Art Institute of Chicago is currently showcasing 'Hélio Oiticica: To Organize Delirium' until May 17. This retrospective honors Brazilian artist Hélio Oiticica (1937-80) and follows its previous display at the Carnegie Museum of Art, with plans to move to the Whitney Museum this summer. The exhibition comprises 151 pieces, featuring participatory installations like Tropicália (1966-67) and Filter Project—For Vergera (1972). Oiticica's artistic journey transitioned from early abstraction to immersive experiences shaped by influential thinkers and music. He resided in New York from 1970 to 1978 before returning to Brazil. The accompanying catalogue contains essays from twelve writers but lacks a critical examination of his utopian ideas from the 1960s-70s. A fire devastated much of his archive, making the reconstructions particularly important.
Key facts
- Hélio Oiticica (1937-80) was a Brazilian-born artist who lived in New York from 1970 to 1978.
- The exhibition 'To Organize Delirium' includes 151 pieces and five reconstructed installations.
- It runs at the Art Institute of Chicago through May 17, after showing at the Carnegie Museum of Art and before moving to the Whitney Museum.
- Installations like Tropicália (1966-67) feature live parrots and require visitors to remove shoes.
- Oiticica participated in MoMA's 1970 'Information' exhibition dedicated to conceptual art.
- He was influenced by Guy Debord, Herbert Marcuse, Marshall McLuhan, Jimi Hendrix, and the Rolling Stones.
- A fire destroyed much of Oiticica's archive, making reconstructions challenging.
- The exhibition catalogue has twelve essays but offers little critical discussion of his thinking.
Entities
Artists
- Hélio Oiticica
- Paul Klee
- Kazimir Malevich
- Piet Mondrian
- Guy Debord
- Herbert Marcuse
- Marshall McLuhan
- Jimi Hendrix
- Jacques-Louis David
Institutions
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Carnegie Museum of Art
- Whitney Museum
- Whitechapel Gallery
- Museum of Modern Art
- Phillips Gallery
Locations
- Chicago
- United States
- Pittsburgh
- Brazil
- New York
- Washington, D.C.
- London
- United Kingdom
- South Bronx