Some of the Brazilian contemporary art and design highlights will be brought together in the “From the Margin to the Edge: Brazilian Art and Design in the XXI Century”, one of the main attractions of Casa Brasil in London.  At the mezzanine level ofSomerset House, on the banks of the Thames River, more than 70 works created by 33 artists, among paintings, sculptures, photographs, video installations and graphic design works will be showcased to guests on 20 July, and to the public from the next day on. Entrance is free of charge. The space remains open daily from 11:00 am to 07:00 pm until 8 September.  The exhibition exceptionally closes at 09:00 pm on Thursdays.

For curator Rafael Cardoso, the main idea is to dismantle common sense and break stereotypes about the country that will host the Rio 2016™ Olympic and Paralympic Games and its cultural production. In addition to Brazil’s political and economic global ascension, the insertion of Brazilian artists in the international cultural market is the achievement to be celebrated. The exhibition’s name, “From the Margin to the Edge” marks this new position.

“The exhibition showcases the works of artists and designers, bringing together the best of modern Brazilian production. The artists represent nearly all Brazilian regions and the integration between the Brazilian artistic environment and the world (through Brazilians residing abroad or, in one case, a foreign artist living in Brazil). Some of them are internationally recognized artists.  Other artists are new and virtually unknown. They all have in common high-quality works to be featured in the exhibition, offering a harmonious picture of the best of Brazilian contemporary art production”, analyses the curator.

“The exhibition’s conception is chiefly based on the lack of bias against any form of expression, contemplating with equal interest diverging media and support - installation, painting, photograph, video and sculpture, among others. This explains the reunion of art and design, investigating the relationship between these areas in its highest level.  The “From the Margin to the Edge” exhibition celebrates Brazil’s contemporary, bold and cosmopolitan art production, and also proposes a reflection on the contribution of Brazilian art to the great discussions that move the art world”, he completes.

Vende-se tudo, by Rochelle Costi (Photo: Divulgation)

Three large thematic rooms

The exhibition, which includes art works created from 2002 on, was produced by Rafael Cardoso and designed by Daniela Thomas and Felipe Tassara, from Tecnopop design company, the creator of the Chico Dub content. Theexecutive producer is Automatica, whose track record also includes successful exhibitions in Europalia (Belgium, 2011) and ARCO (Madrid, 2009).

The exhibition will feature three large thematic rooms that represent a path of ideas. “Each room revolves around dualities. The first is Raw/Cooked, about the assumptions made on Brazil by Europeans, and aims to break stereotypes. The second room showcases Gambiarra/Craftsmanship, two opposed terms with no easy translation from/into English and Portuguese. This room represents the cultural untranslatability, the strangeness, and deals with the - efficiency versus improvisation- issue”, explains Rafael Cardoso.

“The third room is Preserve/Transform, two verbs that point out the direction of the relations between Brazil and the world in the XXI Century. In view of the environmental crisis and globalisation, how can we analyse the delicate relation between preservation and transformation? Visitors experience these three moments as if they were listening to a story told by the art works: two adjectives, which describe one thought; two nouns that define a single condition; two verbs which point out the same path. Thesis, antithesis, synthesis. A process of transformation through art”, he finalises.

Dobra II, by Regina Silveira (Photo: Divulgation)

Check out the list of artists in alphabetical order:

Adriana Varejão

Painter. Born in Rio de Janeiro, 1964.

Alex Flemming

Photographer, painter, sculptor, printmaker, multimedia artist and poet. Born in São Paulo, 1954.

Angelo Venosa 

Sculptor.  Born in São Paulo, 1954.

Amador Perez

Artist. Born in Rio de Janeiro, 1952.

AoLeo

Artist, theatrical director, scenographer, actor and performer. Born in Rio de Janeiro, 1983.

Ascânio MMM 

Sculptor and painter.

Born in Fão, Portugal, 1941.

Berna Reale

Artist, photographer. Born in Belém (PA), 1964.

Caio Reisewitz

Photographer. Born in São Paulo, 1967.

Cao Guimarães

Artist and filmmaker. Born in Belo Horizonte (MG), 1965.

Claudia Moreira Salles 

Furniture designer. Born in Rio de Janeiro, 1955.

David Cury

Artist. Born in Teresina (PI), 1963.

Eduardo Coimbra

Photographer and sculptor. Born in Rio de Janeiro, 1955.

Emmanuel Nassar

Artist. Born in Capanema (PA), 1955.

Gilberto Paim & Elizabeth Fonseca

Ceramic artists. Born in Rio de Janeiro, both 1957.

João Penoni

Designer, photographer, videomaker, performer. Born in Rio de Janeiro, 1983.

Jum Nakao

Stylist and artist. Born in São Paulo, 1966.

Laura Erber

Writer and visual artist. Born in Rio de Janeiro, 1979.

Laura Lima

Artist. Born in Governador Valadares (MG), 1971.

Marcone Moreira

Artist, sculptor, photographer. Born in Pio XII (MA), 1982.

Marcos Chaves

Artist. Born in Rio de Janeiro, 1961.

Maria Laet

Artist. Born in Rio de Janeiro, 1982.

Maurício Azeredo

Architect and furniture designer. Born in Macaé (RJ), 1948.

Maurício Dias & Walter Riedweg

Videoartists. Born in Rio de Janeiro, 1964, and Lucerne, Switzerland, 1955.

Nelson Leirner

Artist. Born in São Paulo, 1932.

Raul Mourão

Artist. Born in Rio de Janeiro, 1967.

Regina Silveira

Artist. Born in Porto Alegre (RS), 1939.

Rico Lins

Designer and illustrator. Born in Rio de Janeiro, 1955.

Rochelle Costi

Photographer and artist. Born in Porto Alegre (RS), 1961.

Rodrigo Braga

Artist. Born in Manaus (AM), 1976.

Rodrigo Calixto

Furniture designer. Born in Rio de Janeiro, 1979.

Zé Carlos Garcia 

Artist. Born in Rio de Janeiro, 1973.