International Realism Survey Traces Five Decades from Photorealism to Virtual Reality

The Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil in São Paulo hosts the international exhibition '50 Anos de Realismo – Do fotorrealismo à realidade virtual' until January 14, 2019. Curated by Tereza de Arruda, the show features 93 works by 30 artists, tracing a path from 1970s and 80s American photorealism to contemporary virtual reality. Key historical figures include American artists Ralph Goings and John De Andrea, whose hyperrealist sculpture 'Christine' anchors the show. De Andrea was notably included in Documenta 5 in Kassel, Germany, in 1972 by curator Harald Szeemann. The exhibition also presents works by British painter John Salt, Danish installation artist Peter Land, and British portraitist Simon Hennessey. Contemporary contributions include German artists Felix Kraus, who incorporates 3D projection, and Sven Drühl, who uses video game imagery. The show examines realism's political and social impulses, questioning the nature of reality itself through diverse media including painting, sculpture, photography, video, and VR. It is installed in the CCBB São Paulo building, which the curator selected for its spatial potential to develop her thesis.