
Pivô Receives ‘Beijo’, an exhibition by Mariela Scafati and Hélio Oiticica. For Gonzalo Aguilar, author of the critical text, the exhibition shifts the idea of body and artwork, working with paintings, canvases, colors, ropes, miniature theater (kamishibai), the senses of the viewers, and even the air itself as bodies. The author says: “The exhibition takes the paintings off the walls, a practice as ancient and banal as it is intimidating, and places them in space. These are works in suspension. Beijo is a celebration and an investigation of contact, and how contact functions in our lives and its politics (that is, in the ways of creating bonds).”
Organized by the ISLA FLOTANTE gallery in partnership with Gomide&Co, the exhibition opens on October 26th (Saturday), from 1 PM to 4 PM.
Mariela Scafati (Olivos, Argentina, 1973) lives and works in Buenos Aires. She studied visual arts at E.S.A.V. Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, and participated in workshops with Tulio de Sagastizábal, Pablo Suárez, and Guillermo Kuitca. Considered one of the most important Argentine artists of her generation, Scafati works from her background as a painter and screen printer, as well as her experiences with social activism and education. She co-founded the Taller Popular Serigrafía (2002-07) and has been a member of the Serigrafistas Queer collective since 2007, creating materials such as slogans and stencils used in LGBTTTIQ+ pride marches in Argentina. In her works, the artist blends formal experimentation with queer themes and social, political, and economic issues in her country. In addition to solo exhibitions in Argentina, her works have been presented in group exhibitions across Latin America, Europe, and the United States. Her works are part of important institutional collections, such as: Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA); Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (MNCARS), Madrid; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; among others.
Hélio Oiticica (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1937–1980) is one of the leading names in Brazilian art in the second half of the 20th century. He began his artistic studies at the Ivan Serpa Free Painting Course at the MAM Rio in 1954, developing works marked by the experience of the concrete art movement of the time. Between 1955 and 1956, he was a member of the Grupo Frente and signed the Manifesto Neoconcreto (1959), after which his work expanded to include the viewer as a participant in the artwork. During the 1960s, he developed some of his most well-known series (Bilaterais, Relevos Espaciais, Núcleos, Penetráveis, and Bólides) and participated in historically significant group exhibitions such as Opinião 65 (1965) and Nova Objetividade Brasileira (1967), both at MAM Rio. From 1970 to 1978, he lived in New York as a fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, conducting experiments with Super 8 films. He returned to Rio de Janeiro in 1978 and passed away prematurely in 1980. His works have been presented in solo and group exhibitions around the world and are part of renowned institutional collections such as: Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro (MAM Rio); Inhotim, Brumadinho, MG; Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA); The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York; Tate Modern, London; among others.