Cruzamentos: Contemporary Art in Brazil [Wexner Center]

The Wexner Center recently held an exhibition of contemporary Brazilian art titled Cruzamentos. Sadly, the works are no longer on view at the Wex. I do encourage you to do research on some of the talented artists featured in the exhibition, though.

Initial Thoughts

Like most exhibitions at the Wex, Cruzamentos was a mixed bag of intriguing work and lesser works by more famous artists. The experience was more immersive and space-involved than some of their previous exhibitions. Walking up the main hallway, the ledge above was lined with cement and broken glass. Immediately, I assumed it was art chosen for its specific evocations of Brazil. Luckily, I was wrong. It was the Wex's (only) attempt at displaying Brazilian life with Brazilian art. With more thought and more thorough execution, this could've worked. But you are immediately put on edge by a sort of half-formed experience.

Certain pieces were haphazardly displayed in areas you weren't sure to look at. One actual piece of video art was projected on a sheet high above tyne main corridor, but could only be noticed on your way out of the exhibit. This was unfortunate because a loudspeaker at ear level blasted its soundtrack on the way in. You're initially not sure what you're listening to or why it's there.

In spite of the technical shortcomings and the usual challenges of staging an exhibition in the trapezoidal galleries, Cruzamentos was a strong showing of intriguing Brazilian artists that many Columbus artists could learn from.

The selected works here are the more memorable pieces.

Gambiarras Mosaic (2008), Cao Guimarães

Guimarães's contribution was a series of photography capturing makeshift solutions for household problems in Brazil. It absolutely captured how alien the culture could be from the eye of middle class American. Once you learn that each photo is an image of an object being used in unexpected ways, the mosaic of photos becomes a game. What's unexpected in this image? Or this one?

Though clever, I'm not sure if I found it artistically satisfying. It didn't bring attention to the cultural differences for a viewer in a gallery. So, in that respect, it could be called ineffective. It's subtle documentary approach would be more fully appreciated with an article about the poverty levels in Brazil. Overall, the series felt complementary to something that the audience wasn't privy to. Leaving the exhibition, I still think of this series. But perhaps not for the reasons the artist wants.

Great composition, vivid colors, interesting use of line in the works selected by the Wex. I am focused on the message and impact of this series and I admit that. They are not bad pieces. I found the context lacking.

Polvo (2013), Adriana Varejão

Poorly photographed photos of a guidebook don't do this exhibit justice. I've found race to be a popular dialogue in much of the art that I've seen in the past few months (2013's strong showing of films including 12 Years a Slave, Available Light's production of We Are Proud to Present...), and none of them made such an impact as this series of portraits. Varejão explored Brazil's complicated colonial history and ideas of miscegenation in a series of eleven oil paintings.

Based on a 1976 survey asking Brazilians to self-identify the color of their skin, Varejão created 33 oil colors based on the most evocative titles. Then she painted portraits with them in a series reminiscent of color-by-number books for children. The room the Wex devoted to this series held a dynamic tension. Anyone entering could simultaneously feel vulnerable by the power of all eleven portraits staring at the entrance like a government council, but the viewer can also see the childishness in the semantics of race at play. It is a series that both reflects on the past and looks to the future. After all, it is the same woman painted in different colors eleven times.

Veneza do Brasil (2007), Laura Belém

(Pictured in the featured image for this post)

What may be most powerful about Belém's work is the element of surprise. It's very theatrical and not at the same time. How she weaves the viewer's emotions is typical of theatre, but her piece's 'performance' is without end.

At the end of the gallery is a tall structure made out of lumber. Household fans sit at each corner of the high box and a small set of steps allows a single patron at a time to ascend and view the piece. Expecting a deep diorama that one must look down into, we are instead surprised with a shallow pool of water. Handcrafted models of shanties float here, propelled in circles around the pool by the fans. It's mesmerizing and catches the viewer off guard.

The title of the piece (translated: Venice of Brazil) is a transient piece about the vulnerability of the most poor and their homes. It's eerily reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina without being informed by it at all. The context of this piece in an American setting evokes additional images that the artist almost certainly didn't intend, but add to the understanding of the piece.

Belém's work was the most successful at demonstrating the theme of the Cruzamentos show. It was a link between Brazilian and American crossroads.

Untitled (2013), Vânia Mignone

Aesthetically satisfying, Mignone's Untitled (2013) uses bright colors and a contrast in motion to draw the viewer in. The woman in a bathing suit implies that she is submerged, her hair drifting upward in the current. the flat circles in the background show a different direction of motion. What's happening isn't immediately clear. The throwback to classic French and Italian ads from the early 20th Century is a welcome addition.

I can't honestly say why I like this piece; I just do. It's very large. It feels very "in the moment" of art while also showing signs of modern design trends (flat color, hand lettering).

What to Take Away

• Context can make or break a piece. What is it saying? Who else is saying it?
• Bright, solid colors are the way to go.
• Race is visual. It's hard to talk about, easier to show and then discuss.

If you want to see more, the exhibition is closed. The Wexner Center sells their book in the store section, though. Good commentary and art. How can you go wrong?