Henrique Oliveira's Organic Sculptures Invade Galerie Vallois

Henrique Oliveira's exhibition at Galerie Vallois in Paris from September 9 to October 9, 2011, features large-scale organic sculptures that burst out of the white cube. The centerpiece, Desnatureza, resembles a twisted tree trunk that appears to tear through the floor and ceiling, creating a surreal, fantastic atmosphere. Oliveira uses reclaimed palisade wood from construction sites in São Paulo to create works that blend painting, architecture, and sculpture. Pieces like Boxoplasmose use plywood to create pathological-looking forms that overflow their boundaries. While the works evoke issues of Amazon deforestation and urbanism in Brazil, Oliveira resists a political reading, focusing instead on the interplay between sculpture and painting, as seen in the high-relief Xilempasto 3. However, his acrylic paintings are less convincing, confined to traditional canvas limits. The review is by Carole Boulbès.