The 'Extravaganzas' exhibition, the largest individual exhibition of Joana Vasconcelos in Brazil, it is on display at the Oscar Niemeyer Museum, in Curitiba, "a mythical museum of the international contemporary art scene", said the Portuguese artist.
"This Eye is a mythical space. In the art world there is talk of holding an exhibition in places that, in addition to being super original, are extremely difficult", due to the particularity of the architecture, he reinforced, referring to the structure of the museum , popularly called Eye, due to its architectural shape.
The work 'Valquíria Miss Dior', measuring around seven meters high and 20 meters long, which mixes handmade wool crochet, fabrics and polyester, suspended on steel cables, is the most striking piece in the exhibition. "The piece fits inside the eye in an incredible way, there was no need to make any adaptations and the piece looks wonderful on the eye", emphasized the Portuguese artist, remembering that "there are actually few works that come into dialogue with this type of space, because it is a space that, in itself, is also a sculpture".
'Valkyrie Miss Dior' was initially created at the invitation of the haute couture brand Dior for the show, in Paris, in February, dedicated to the women's collection for the autumn/winter 2023-2024 season.
Before arriving in Brazil, the work had also passed through the Chinese city of Shenzen and was, until October 8, in Macau, at the International Art Biennial of the former territory administered by Portugal. "Managing to bring a Dior piece to the Oscar Niemeyer Museum is undoubtedly a very unique combination", highlighted Vasconcelos, also emphasizing the fact that it is the first time that the work is in a museum context.
On the museum's main ramp, the public is welcomed by 'Valquíria Matarazzo', a work by the Portuguese artist designed in 2014 for the interior of the Matarazzo Hospital chapel, in the Bela Vista neighborhood, in São Paulo. The work of the Portuguese artist, which will be on display in Curitiba until May 2024, is also concentrated throughout the museum, where it is possible to see works such as 'Pantelmina', 'Big Booby', models of 'Solitário', 'Cantiçais ', 'Gateway', 'Wedding Cake', 'Mask' and 'Sapato', among others.
Speaking to Lusa, the Portuguese ambassador to Brazil, Luis Faro Ramos, who was in Curitiba visiting the Oscar Niemeyer Museum, on Wednesday, with the Portuguese artist, highlighted that it was an "honor for Portugal to have an exhibition of this size here , from an artist of this magnitude".
"There is great expectation from the organization with this exhibition, which, in fact, is timely for Joana Vasconcelos, which, if not the most international, is one of the most international of our artists", highlighted the diplomat. As for the museum about his studio, which he intends to install in the riverside area of the Tagus, between the municipalities of Lisbon and Oeiras, Joana Vasconcelos admitted that he lacked time to dedicate himself to it as a result of the approximately 45 exhibitions he held this year on three continents.
"That's what I'm going to do from January onwards", he stressed, reinforcing: "It's a project that I really want to do".