Hélio Oiticica: To Organize Delirium

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York

NOW CLOSED

Parangolé Cape 30 in the New York City Subway (1972), courtesy of César and Claudio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro

This will be the first major US retrospective in two decades dedicated to the Brazilian artist’s work. One of the most original artists of the twentieth century, Oiticica made art that awakens the viewers’ bodies and senses: art that challenges us to assume a more active role. Beginning with geometric investigations in painting and drawing, Oiticica soon shifted to sculpture, architectural installations, writing, film, and large-scale environments of an increasingly immersive nature. The exhibition includes some of his large-scale installations, including Tropicalia and Eden, and examines the artist’s involvement with music and literature, as well as his response to politics and the social environment. Find out more about the Hélio Oiticica exhibition from the Whitney Museum’s website.

CC5 Hendrix-War (1973), Hélio Oiticica and Neville D’Almeida. © César and Claudio Oiticica, and Neville D’Almeida

CC5 Hendrix-War (1973), Hélio Oiticica and Neville D’Almeida 1973 (installation view, Walker Arts Center, Minneapolis, 2010–11). © César and Claudio Oiticica, and Neville D’Almeida

Parangolé Cape 30 in the New York City Subway (1972), courtesy of César and Claudio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro