The sea and angels in a baroque style… introducing the look of the Rio 2016 Olympic Aquatics Stadium
Work by Brazilian artist Adriana Varejão will adorn venue in Barra Olympic Park as part of drive to promote art alongside sport
The work of art uses Portuguese tiling to tell the story of Brazil’s colonial history (Inhotim/Adriana Varejão)
Beijing 2008 had the Water Cube, London 2012 had the iconic wave-like roof, and Rio 2016 has now unveiled the idiosyncratic design that will adorn its main aquatics arena. Rio2016.com can reveal that the Olympic Aquatics Stadium that will host the world’s best swimmers and water polo players next year will be enveloped by a work of art by renowned Brazilian artist Adriana Varejão.
Celacanto Provoca Maremoto is an installation displayed at the Inhotim Institute – a giant outdoor art gallery in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais – that uses Portuguese tiling and a baroque style to mix imagery of the sea and angels. It will be reproduced on huge drapes that will wrap around the venue in Barra Olympic Park, the main Games venue cluster.
Rio 2016 culture director Carla Camurati was tasked with finding a work of art to decorate the venue earlier this year. Having just returned from Inhotim, which features about 500 works of art on 110 hectares of land, one piece instantly sprung to mind.
“Straight away I thought of the work by Adriana Varejão. She is important for Rio and the work also has an aquatic theme”
Carla Camurati
The Aquatics Stadium, with the Future Arena in the background (Photo: Ministry of Sport/Heusi Action/ME/GabrielHeusi)
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Inhotim’s executive director Antonio Grassi authorised the use of the work by Varejão, one of Brazil’s leading contemporary artists, in the Olympic Park. “I believe this will have a big impact,” Grassi said. “Adriana’s work is well known outside of Brazil and this is one of her most powerful pieces.”
Born in Rio, Varejão’s work has been displayed in the Tate Modern in London, Paris’s Fondation Cartier, the Guggenheim in New York and Tokyo’s Hara Museum.
Camurati said there would be many more instances of art being promoted alongside the Games, all around the host city. “The idea is to involve other museums and artists, not just in the Olympic Park, but in the Games culture programme in general.”
The Olympic Aquatics Stadium, one of seven new venues being constructed in Barra Olympic Park, is almost complete. The Rio Municipal Government, which is project managing the construction, reported that the venue was 96 per cent complete in November. It is scheduled to host the swimming test event in April.
