Great solo exhibition of the Brazilian artist Cildo Meireles in Madrid and a rare opportunity to experience his sensuous and highly conceptual spaces. Hosted in a former exhibition pavilion inside the Retiro park, the show features large installations that play with light, heat, deception, and nicely unusual, slightly retro concepts. 

Olvido, one of the most conspicuous works on show. Indian tipi made with 6,000 banknotes from all the American countries and placed over three tons of bones surrounded by a candle wall.

Olvido, 1987-89

Pintura#1, low level pipe crossing a dark room.

Pintura#1, 1999-2000

Entrevendo, 9m long timber tube with a hot air fan to one side

Entrevendo, 1970/1994

Volumes Virtuais, lovely space creation

Volumes Virtuais, 1969/2009

Amerikkka, a floor of 20,050 eggs under a suspended ceiling made with 76,150 bullets pointing downwards

Amerikkka, 1991/2013

Marulho, 1:1 pier above a sea of books picturing water

Marulho, 1991/1997

Marulho, 1991/1997

Para Pedro, 1984/1993

Brasilia's Masterplan by Lucio Costa

 

About
Cildo Meireles / conceptual artist born in Rio de Janeiro (1948) and raised in Brasilia. He lives and works in Rio.

Itinerary
24 May - 29 September 2013 / Palacio de Velázquez, Parque del Retiro / Madrid
26 October 2013 - January 2014 / Fundaçao Serralves / Porto
6 March - 1 June 2014 / HangarBicocca / Milan

Pictures by PS. Cover photo Amerikkka,  1991/2013

29 December 2010

The Sitio Burle Marx is a delightful place 45 minutes away from Rio with wonderful gardens and inspiring open spaces. It has views over an estuary and the Mata Atlântica (tropical forest), interesting concrete pergolas embedded in vegetation and colourful hand painted tiles. Impressive also Marx' collection of Scandinavian and Murano vases, ex-votos and pre-Columbian objects.  










About:
Roberto Burle Marx / São Paulo 1909 - Rio de Janeiro 1994 / Brazilian landscape architect.
At the age of 4 he moved to Rio, Leme, with his family and later with 18 to Germany to study music and painting. A highlight of his German stay was his visit to the Dahlem Botanical Gardens in Berlin where he became acquainted to the Brazilian tropical plants that he started using when back in Brazil.

1949 he bought the Sítio Santo Antônio da Bica (today Sitio Burle Marx) to store his collection of plants. The Sitio was an 80ha estate with an old country house and a small XVIII century chapel dedicated to Saint Anthony. Burle Marx refurbished the old house and built an extension, while allegedly architect Lucio Costa restored the chapel. Burle Marx lived in the Sitio for 45 years and used it as his atelier, as venue for his concerts, feasts and generally as a get together place for friends and colleagues. Among his visitors Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Pablo Neruda.

His work:  
Copacabana Beach promenade, Flamengo Park in Rio, Ibirapuera Park in São Paulo and Pampulha Gardens in Belo Horizonte.

Other Sources:
A mesa com Burle Marx (At the table with Burle Marx) by Claudia Pinheiro, 2008, Editora Batel
Photos by PS

Sitio Burle Marx / Estrada da Barra de Guaratiba, 2019 / Barra de Guaratiba / Rio de Janeiro  
T (021) 410-1412 / 410-1171  
Open by appointment only