arte dos mestres

Arte dos Mestres was an initiative by Artesol in celebration of its 25 years of contribution to the dissemination of Brazilian art and popular culture. The fair-exhibition, curated by Jô Masson and Marco Aurélio Pulchério, took place simultaneously with the 2nd edition of the SP–Arte Rotas Brasileiras fair, and featured more than 200 works, displayed in 700 m² of exhibition area. It was an unprecedented event as it brought together a total of 20 master artisans, families and collectives from various generations and regions of Brazil, and for rethinking the place of popular art today, valuing its plurality. ​

The exhibition was distributed in two distinct spaces, which were visually integrated by a large colored stripe, fixed to the existing beam, which ran the entire length of the exhibition. The challenge was to individually show the private universe of each of the 20 artists at its maximum potential, and, at the same time, for these universes to interact, in paths with visual surprises and permeability. So the expography was built from layers of different depths and colors, used to create movement in spaces and also to contain and delimit each artist's area through color. ​

The four colors that permeated the exhibition - yellow, green, purple and red - evoked the joy of Brazilian popular art. The intention was to guarantee unity throughout the exhibition and, at the same time, compose with the works on display. Based on these relationships, each artist was assigned a color and, thus, colors and layers produce these small spaces within the set, providing at the same time an apprehension of the whole and the part.