Coming on the heels of its ‘Lina Bo Bardi + Roberto Burle Marx’ exhibition earlier this year, New York design gallery R & Company has opened an impressive new show, ‘Brazil Modern’ that includes those two earlier subjects — Bo Bardi and Burle Marx — along with a long roster of other Brazilian greats: Oscar Niemeyer, Sergio Rodrigues, Joaquim Tenreiro, and Martin Eisler.
The exhibition, curated by R & Company principal Zesty Meyers, presents furniture, textiles, and archival material ranging from the 1940s to 2012. ‘I could have done an exhibition with five objects—and that could have been great — but I wanted to capture the energy of Brazil,’ Meyers says, underscoring the show’s diversity. Walls painted in different shades of blue reference Brazil’s trademark sky and water.
Though the gallery has remarkable holdings in the cannon of modern design — including Joe Colombo, Wendell Castle, and Greta Magnusson-Grossman — it has distinguished itself over the years by bringing lesser-known designers not only into the market, but also, through its commitment to research, into greater public awareness. ‘Brazil Modern’ is one of the by-products of that enterprising and research-intensive approach. Many of the works have never before been publicly exhibited, and many were acquired in a fine tooth-comb way by the gallery principals travelling to Brazil over many years.
Owing to the country’s recent political history as a military dictatorship, most design work had to stay within the country, leaving behind a vast trove of mid-century artefacts largely unknown outside Brazil. ‘Most people still don’t have export licenses,’ says Meyers.
The exhibition anticipates the publication of a new book, Brazil Modern, authored by Aric Chen (with an introduction by Meyers), due out in March 2016 from Monacelli Press. Many of the objects included in the gallery show will be more fully analysed in the book. For Meyers, the history of 20th century design is still in draft phase. ‘Brazil is the last great discovery of mid-century design.’
Curated by principal Zesty Meyers, the show seeks to capture the diversity of Brazilian design
Many of the works have never before been publicly exhibited, and many were acquired by the gallery principals travelling to Brazil over many years
Walls painted in different shades of blue reference Brazil’s trademark sky and water.
Due to the country’s political history as a military dictatorship, most design work had to stay within the country
As a result, there is a vast trove of mid-century artifacts largely unknown outside Brazil
The exhibition precedes the publication of a new book, Brazil Modern, due out in March 2016, which will include many of the pieces in the show
’Brazil is the last great discovery of mid-century design,’ says Meyers
INFORMATION
’Brazil Modern’ is on view until 7 January 2016. For more information, visit R & Company’s website
ADDRESS
82 Franklin Street
New York
-
A nature-inspired Chinese art centre cuts a crisp figure in a Guiyang parkA new Chinese art centre by Atelier Xi in the country's Guizhou Province is designed to bring together nature, art and community
-
William Kentridge's fluid sculptures are a vivid addition to the Yorkshire landscapeWilliam Kentridge has opened the first major exhibition to focus on his sculptures outside of South Africa at Yorkshire Sculpture Park
-
David Cronenberg’s ‘The Shrouds’ is the film for our post-truth digital ageThe film director draws on his own experience of grief for this techno conspiracy thriller
-
‘Her pictures looked like pictures everybody knew were the truth’: Diane Arbus at the ArmoryMatthieu Humery curates more than 400 of Arbus’ photographs at New York’s Park Avenue Armory – every picture she was known to have printed
-
Mystic, feminine and erotic: the power of Penny Slinger’s bodies as landscapeArtist Penny Slinger continues her exploration of the sacred, surreal feminine in a Santa Monica exhibition, ‘Meeting at the Horizon’
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt was a jam-packed week for the Wallpaper* staff, entailing furniture, tech and music launches and lots of good food – from afternoon tea to omakase
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been up to this weekThis week saw the Wallpaper* team jet-setting to Jordan and New York; those of us left in London had to make do with being transported via the power of music at rooftop bars, live sets and hologram performances
-
Photographer Geordie Wood takes a leap of faith with first film, DiversGeordie Wood delved into the world of professional diving in Fort Lauderdale for his first film
-
New book celebrates 100 years of New York City landmarks where LGBTQ+ history took placeMarc Zinaman’s ‘Queer Happened Here: 100 Years of NYC’s Landmark LGBTQ+ Places’ is a vital tribute to queer culture
-
A major Takashi Murakami exhibition sees the world in kaleidoscopic colourThe Cleveland Art Museum presents 'Takashi Murakami 'Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow', exploring outrage and escapist fantasy
-
Ai Weiwei’s new public installation is coming soon to Four Freedoms State Park‘Camouflage’ by Ai Weiwei will launch the inaugural Art X Freedom project in September 2025, a new programme to investigate social justice and freedom
