Coming on the heels of its ‘Lina Bo Bardi + Roberto Burle Marx’ exhibition earlier this year, New York design gallery R & Company has opened an impressive new show, ‘Brazil Modern’ that includes those two earlier subjects — Bo Bardi and Burle Marx — along with a long roster of other Brazilian greats: Oscar Niemeyer, Sergio Rodrigues, Joaquim Tenreiro, and Martin Eisler.
The exhibition, curated by R & Company principal Zesty Meyers, presents furniture, textiles, and archival material ranging from the 1940s to 2012. ‘I could have done an exhibition with five objects—and that could have been great — but I wanted to capture the energy of Brazil,’ Meyers says, underscoring the show’s diversity. Walls painted in different shades of blue reference Brazil’s trademark sky and water.
Though the gallery has remarkable holdings in the cannon of modern design — including Joe Colombo, Wendell Castle, and Greta Magnusson-Grossman — it has distinguished itself over the years by bringing lesser-known designers not only into the market, but also, through its commitment to research, into greater public awareness. ‘Brazil Modern’ is one of the by-products of that enterprising and research-intensive approach. Many of the works have never before been publicly exhibited, and many were acquired in a fine tooth-comb way by the gallery principals travelling to Brazil over many years.
Owing to the country’s recent political history as a military dictatorship, most design work had to stay within the country, leaving behind a vast trove of mid-century artefacts largely unknown outside Brazil. ‘Most people still don’t have export licenses,’ says Meyers.
The exhibition anticipates the publication of a new book, Brazil Modern, authored by Aric Chen (with an introduction by Meyers), due out in March 2016 from Monacelli Press. Many of the objects included in the gallery show will be more fully analysed in the book. For Meyers, the history of 20th century design is still in draft phase. ‘Brazil is the last great discovery of mid-century design.’
Curated by principal Zesty Meyers, the show seeks to capture the diversity of Brazilian design
Many of the works have never before been publicly exhibited, and many were acquired by the gallery principals travelling to Brazil over many years
Walls painted in different shades of blue reference Brazil’s trademark sky and water.
Due to the country’s political history as a military dictatorship, most design work had to stay within the country
As a result, there is a vast trove of mid-century artifacts largely unknown outside Brazil
The exhibition precedes the publication of a new book, Brazil Modern, due out in March 2016, which will include many of the pieces in the show
’Brazil is the last great discovery of mid-century design,’ says Meyers
INFORMATION
’Brazil Modern’ is on view until 7 January 2016. For more information, visit R & Company’s website
ADDRESS
82 Franklin Street
New York
-
Rio Kobayashi’s new furniture bridges eras, shown alongside Fritz Rauh’s midcentury paintings at Blunk SpaceFurniture designer Rio Kobayashi unveils a new series, informed by the paintings of midcentury artist Fritz Rauh, at California’s Blunk Space
-
New York restaurant Locanda Verde’s second outpost will transport you to a different time and placeLocanda Verde’s expansive new Hudson Yards osteria exudes a sophisticated yet intimate atmosphere overflowing with art treasures
-
LVMH watch week 2025: everything we know so farOur guide to LVMH Watch Week 2025, taking place in New York and Paris, starting 21 January; keep an eye out for our updates
-
What is RedNote? Inside the social media app drawing American users ahead of the US TikTok banDownloads of the Chinese-owned platform have spiked as US users look for an alternative to TikTok, which faces a ban on national security grounds. What is Rednote, and what are the implications of its ascent?
-
Architecture and the new world: The Brutalist reframes the American dreamBrady Corbet’s third feature film, The Brutalist, demonstrates how violence is a building block for ideology
-
Inside Luna Luna: the amusement park designed by artists lands in New York‘Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy’ – featuring rides by Basquiat, Lichtenstein, Hockney, Haring, and Dalí – has opened at The Shed
-
Henni Alftan’s paintings frame everyday moments in cinematic renditionsConcurrent exhibitions in New York and Shanghai celebrate the mesmerising mystery in Henni Alftan’s paintings
-
Brutalism in film: the beautiful house that forms the backdrop to The Room Next DoorThe Room Next Door's production designer discusses mood-boarding and scene-setting for a moving film about friendship, fragility and the final curtain
-
'There’s an anxiety under all of it': Violet Dennison in New YorkViolet Dennison debuts abstract paintings with new show 'Damaged Self' at Tara Downs Gallery
-
‘Gas Tank City’, a new monograph by Andrew Holmes, is a photorealist eye on the American West‘Gas Tank City’ chronicles the artist’s journey across truck-stop America, creating meticulous drawings of fleeting moments
-
Mark Armijo McKnight’s bodily landscapes capture the tactile serenity of the American WestThe artist’s new exhibition at the Whitney Museum, which is organised by the museum curator Drew Sawyer, offers a succinct window into his contemplative suggestion of queering a landscape
