véio

The exhibition, curated by Carlos Augusto Calil and Agnaldo Farias on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Itaú Cultural Awards, was the largest show ever made by the artist Véio, with almost 300 artworks in approximately 930 m².

A fluid, sinuous space, without edges, submerged in color was conceived in dialogue with the artworks. A space in color to display Véio's powerful sculptures - a space in opposition to a supposed neutral field. Yellow, the predominant color of the exhibition's display, was chosen in order to produce contrast with the colors of the works and thus highlight them. Furthermore, yellow and orange evoke the atmosphere of the Brazilian Sertão, the light of the sertão.

The exhibition had three floors and a suggested route. The main gallery (1M) - called Assombro (“Amazement”) – held the most impressive and monumental abstract works. It was a large square that offered an overall view of the artworks, just like the artist's studio, where the works are all together.

The second floor (1S) - called Nação Lascada (“Chipped Nation”) - was an extension of the majestic works presented in Assombro and also presented two more intimate collections. This level had low ceiling, a purple floor, and more shaded colors, all expressing this intimist dimension. One of the galleries presented small unpainted wood sculptures, and the other displayed a collection of shadowy figures, which the artist called Os “Cão” do Meu Inferno ("The 'dogs' of my hell"). This second gallery was a dark purple tunnel with dramatically illuminated red niches, transmitting the heaviness and drama of these sculptures.

On the third floor (2S), was the Museu do Sertão (“Sertão’s Museum”) - the name given by the artist to his private collection of everyday objects, typical of life in the sertão. The Museu do Sertão, beside the collection of objects, also held simultaneous projections of documentaries on huge screens and a few works by the artist. On this gallery, the walls had the texture and the color of the earth - everything was more rustic, a literal immersion in the sertão's environment.

In projects where color is a key element of architecture's language, lighting is equally important. Colors only exist through what makes them visible - light - thus, lighting has a prominent role.  The lighting design, developed by architect Fernanda Carvalho, was closely connected to the project's intentions and brought drama at some points and clarity and definition of colors and volumes at others.