Radical Scenography in Brazilian Exhibitions: From Flooded Museums to Vernacular Architecture
Brazilian exhibition spaces are undergoing radical transformations, as demonstrated by the inundation of the Museu Brasileiro da Escultura e da Ecologia (MuBE) in São Paulo. The installation "Inundação," created by Ary Perez and Flavia Velloso and curated by Galciani Neves and Natalie Unterstell, provided an immersive experience during COP26, addressing the ecological crisis. This concept is reminiscent of Marcel Duchamp's 1942 installation and Bia Lessa's 2000 exhibition at Ibirapuera Park. Other notable exhibitions include "Claudia Alarcón & Silät: viver tecendo" at MASP, "Barracas e fachadas do nordeste" at Galeria Galatea Salvador, and "Greve Negra Já!" by Luciano Feijão at MAES. The Frestas Triennial in Sorocaba examines walking as a form of political expression, while retrospectives at Itaú Cultural and Pina Luz celebrate marginalized artistic histories.
Key facts
- The Museu Brasileiro da Escultura e da Ecologia (MuBE) in São Paulo was flooded for the installation "Inundação" by Ary Perez and Flavia Velloso, curated by Galciani Neves and Natalie Unterstell.
- The exhibition "Claudia Alarcón & Silät: viver tecendo" at MASP features textile works by over a hundred Wichí weavers from Argentina and Paraguay, using chaguar fibers.
- "Barracas e fachadas do nordeste" at Galeria Galatea Salvador explores vernacular architecture with artists including Montez Magno, Mari Ra, Zé di Cabeça, Fabio Miguez, and Adenor Gondim.
- The Frestas Triennial "do caminho um rezo" in Sorocaba presents 188 works, with 26 commissioned, focusing on Black, Indigenous, and peripheral experiences.
- "O que elas viram: fotolivros históricos de mulheres, 1843-1999" at IMS Paulista displays 106 photobooks by women, including works by Anna Atkins and Claudia Andujar.
- "Greve Negra Já!" by Luciano Feijão at Museu de Arte do Espírito Santo (MAES) investigates the Black body, labor, and racial domination.
- "Solidão Coletiva" by Julio Bittencourt at CAIXA Cultural São Paulo features eight photographic series from cities like São Paulo, New York, and Tokyo, curated by Guilherme Wisnik.
- The exhibition "Mestre Didi – invenção e ancestralidade na arte afro-brasileira" at Itaú Cultural runs from April 8 to July 5, 2026, curated by Ayrson Heráclito and Rodrigo Moura.
Entities
Artists
- Galciani Neves
- Natalie Unterstell
- Ary Perez
- Flavia Velloso
- Marcel Duchamp
- Bia Lessa
- Claudia Alarcón
- Montez Magno
- Mari Ra
- Zé di Cabeça
- Fabio Miguez
- Adenor Gondim
- Luciano Feijão
- Julio Bittencourt
- Russet Lederman
- Olga Yatskevich
- Luciara Ribeiro
- Naine Terena
- Khadyg Fares
- Mestre Didi
- Ayrson Heráclito
- Rodrigo Moura
- Paulo Pedro Leal
- Anna Atkins
- Claudia Andujar
- Erika Verzutti
- Maria Martins
- Lázaro Roberto
- Thalita Hamaoui
- Rafael Hayashi
- Ivald Granato
- Felipe Rezende
- Andrea Brazil
- Flavia Renault
- Belony Ferreira
- Nuno Ramos
- Marcos Amaro
- Marlene Barros
- Rogério Medeiros
- Francisco Brennand
- José Cláudio
- Hercule Florence
- Georg Heinrich von Langsdorff
Institutions
- Museu Brasileiro da Escultura e da Ecologia (MuBE)
- Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP)
- Galeria Galatea Salvador
- Sesc Sorocaba
- Instituto Moreira Salles (IMS)
- CAIXA Cultural São Paulo
- Museu de Arte do Espírito Santo (MAES)
- Itaú Cultural
- Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo (Pina Luz)
- 10x10 Photobooks
- FAMA Museu
- Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil Belo Horizonte (CCBB BH)
- Biblioteca Brasiliana Guita e José Mindlin - USP
- Nara Roesler Galeria
- DAN Galeria
- Casa de Cultura do Parque
- Instituto Hercule Florence
- Documenta Pantanal
- Whitelaw Reid Mansion
- Art of this Century
- Getty Research Institute
- Museo Reina Sofía
- Rijksmuseum
- New York Public Library
Locations
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- Salvador
- Bahia
- Sorocaba
- Vitória
- Espírito Santo
- New York
- United States
- Glasgow
- Scotland
- United Kingdom
- Argentina
- Paraguay
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Madrid
- Spain
- Los Angeles
- Porto Feliz
- Mato Grosso
- Grão-Pará
- Rio de Janeiro
- Belo Horizonte
- Minas Gerais
- Itu
- Recife
- Pernambuco
- Olinda
- Porto
- Portugal
- Miami
- Florida
- Tokyo
- Japan
- Mumbai
- India
- Pequim
- China
- Jacarta
- Indonesia
- Berlim
- Germany