Hélio Oiticica (1937 – 1980) is widely regarded as one of Brazil’s leading artists of the twentieth century and a touchstone for much contemporary art made since the 1960s, primarily through his freewheeling, participatory works of art, performative environments, avant-garde films and abstract paintings. Even before the age of 20, Oiticica was a key member of the historic Rio de Janeiro-based Grupo Frente (1954-56), his radical play with geometric form and vibrant colors transcending the minimal lines of European constructivism and imbuing his work with an exuberant rhythm that resonated with the avant-garde music and poetry of his native Brazil. In the late 1950s, Oiticica would go on to become a leading figure of Brazilian Neo-Concretism (1959-61) that included other ground breaking artists such as Lygia Clark, Lygia Pape and the poet Ferreira Gullar, ultimately giving rise to the artistic movement known as Tropicalismo, named for a work of Oiticica’s from 1967.
Increasingly, Oiticica became a countercultural figure and underground hero, foregrounding bodily interaction with spatial and environmental concerns over pure aesthetics. “Ambient art,” he wrote, “is the overthrow of the traditional concept of painting-frame and sculpture – that belongs to the past. It gives way to the creation of ‘ambiences’: from there arises what I call ‘anti-art,’” which he later defined as “the era of the popular participation in the creative field.” This generous and generative practice would become highly influential for subsequent generations of artists, especially his Parangolés or ‘habitable paintings’ and all-encompassing series of installations, known variously as Núcleos (ceiling-hung geometric panels forming gradual chromatic experiences) and Propositions or Penetrables (labyrinth-like architectural environments made of sand and semi-permeable cabins). This supra-sensorial approach continued until his untimely death in 1980 at the age of 42.
In the realm of modern and contemporary art, few names shine as brightly as Hélio Oiticica. A visionary Brazilian artist, Oiticica redefined the boundaries of art through his innovative works that blend vibrant colors, dynamic forms, and immersive experiences. Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1937, Oiticica’s artistic journey transcended traditional artistic paradigms and led him to create a body of work that not only reflected his personal experiences but also encapsulated the cultural and social essence of Brazil. From his early experiments with painting to his groundbreaking “Parangolés” and revolutionary “Tropicália” installations, Oiticica’s legacy continues to captivate and inspire art enthusiasts around the world.
The Transformative Power of Color and Form
Hélio Oiticica’s artistic evolution was marked by his exploration of color and form. His early paintings exhibited an inclination towards geometric abstraction, heavily influenced by the artistic movements of the time. However, it was his shift towards three-dimensionality that truly set him apart. Oiticica began incorporating everyday materials and objects into his art, creating tactile and interactive pieces that blurred the line between art and life. This marked the inception of his revolutionary approach to art-making.
Parangolés: Art in Motion
One of Oiticica’s most iconic contributions to the art world is the series of works known as “Parangolés.” These wearable sculptures combined elements of painting, sculpture, and performance. Oiticica believed that art should not be confined to gallery spaces but should be experienced and lived. The Parangolés were designed to be worn by dancers during performances, allowing the artwork to come alive in motion. These vibrant and flowing creations celebrated the sensuality and dynamism of Brazilian culture while challenging the traditional notions of static art.
Tropicália: An Immersive Experience
In the late 1960s, Hélio Oiticica introduced “Tropicália,” a groundbreaking installation that transcended artistic boundaries and embodied his vision of an all-encompassing sensory experience. Inspired by the tropical landscapes and cultural diversity of Brazil, the installation combined visual, auditory, and tactile elements to create an environment that immersed visitors in a multisensory journey. The inclusion of sand, plants, and live animals blurred the line between art and reality, inviting participants to engage with the artwork on a profound level. Oiticica’s “Tropicália” anticipated the immersive art installations that would become popular in subsequent decades.
Legacy and Influence
Hélio Oiticica’s artistic legacy extends far beyond his physical creations. His work has had a profound impact on contemporary art practices, inspiring generations of artists to explore new mediums, challenge conventional norms, and engage with their cultural contexts. Oiticica’s emphasis on interactivity and participation anticipated the rise of participatory and socially engaged art forms, underscoring his status as a visionary ahead of his time.
Hélio Oiticica’s artistic journey was a dynamic exploration of color, form, and the fusion of art with life. Through his revolutionary concepts and daring experiments, he shattered the confines of traditional art, inviting viewers to step into a world of vibrant experiences and cultural connections. Oiticica’s legacy endures as a testament to the power of art to transcend boundaries, provoke thought, and ignite the senses. As we continue to engage with his work, we are reminded that art is not merely an object to behold, but a journey to embark upon—an experience that can change our perception of the world around us.
Hélio Oiticica (1937 – 1980) is widely regarded as one of Brazil’s leading artists of the twentieth century and a touchstone for much contemporary art made since the 1960s, primarily through his freewheeling, participatory works of art, performative environments, avant-garde films and abstract paintings. Even before the age of 20, Oiticica was a key member of the historic Rio de Janeiro-based Grupo Frente (1954-56), his radical play with geometric form and vibrant colors transcending the minimal lines of European constructivism and imbuing his work with an exuberant rhythm that resonated with the avant-garde music and poetry of his native Brazil. In the late 1950s, Oiticica would go on to become a leading figure of Brazilian Neo-Concretism (1959-61) that included other ground breaking artists such as Lygia Clark, Lygia Pape and the poet Ferreira Gullar, ultimately giving rise to the artistic movement known as Tropicalismo, named for a work of Oiticica’s from 1967.
Increasingly, Oiticica became a countercultural figure and underground hero, foregrounding bodily interaction with spatial and environmental concerns over pure aesthetics. “Ambient art,” he wrote, “is the overthrow of the traditional concept of painting-frame and sculpture – that belongs to the past. It gives way to the creation of ‘ambiences’: from there arises what I call ‘anti-art,’” which he later defined as “the era of the popular participation in the creative field.” This generous and generative practice would become highly influential for subsequent generations of artists, especially his Parangolés or ‘habitable paintings’ and all-encompassing series of installations, known variously as Núcleos (ceiling-hung geometric panels forming gradual chromatic experiences) and Propositions or Penetrables (labyrinth-like architectural environments made of sand and semi-permeable cabins). This supra-sensorial approach continued until his untimely death in 1980 at the age
of 42.
SUPRA-SENSORIAL
Supra-sensorial is a term devised by the Brazilian artist Hélio Oiticica to describe the experience of being in one of his installations – environments that were designed to encourage the viewer’s emotional and intellectual participation. Supra-sensorial was about activating all the senses, in order to promote the idea of individual freedom. The brutal military dictatorship in Brazil during the 1960s and 1970s had caused Oiticica to advocate the radical potential of hanging out, rather than complying with society’s demands. He would invite the audience to walk barefoot on sand and straw or listen to Jimi Hendrix records while relaxing in a hammock.
Hélio Oiticica Bio
Hélio Oiticica (1937 – 1980) was a Brazilian visual artist, sculptor, painter, performance artist, and theorist, best known for his participation in the Neo-Concrete Movement, for his innovative use of color, and for what he later termed “environmental art”, which included Parangolés and Penetrables, like the famous Tropicália. Oiticica was also a filmmaker and writer. He is widely regarded as one of Brazil’s leading artists of the twentieth century and a touchstone for much contemporary art made since the 1960s, primarily through his freewheeling, participatory works of art, performative environments, avant-garde films and abstract paintings. Even before the age of 20, Oiticica was a key member of the historic Rio de Janeiro-based Grupo Frente (1954-56), his radical play with geometric form and vibrant colors transcending the minimal lines
of European constructivism and imbuing his work with an exuberant rhythm that resonated with the avant-garde music and poetry of his native Brazil. In the late 1950s, Oiticica would go on to become a leading figure of Brazilian Neo-Concretism (1959-61) that included other ground breaking artists such as Lygia Clark, Lygia Pape and the poet Ferreira Gullar, ultimately giving rise to the
artistic movement known as Tropicalismo, named for a work of Oiticica’s from 1967.
Increasingly, Oiticica became a countercultural figure and underground hero, foregrounding bodily interaction with spatial and environmental concerns over pure aesthetics. “Ambient art,” he wrote, “is the overthrow of the traditional concept of paintingframe and sculpture – that belongs to the past. It gives way to the creation of ‘ambiences’: from there arise what I call ‘antiart,’” which he later defined as “the era of the popular participation in the creative field.” This generous and generative practice
would become highly influential for subsequent generations of artists, especially so his Parangolés or ‘habitable paintings’ and all-encompassing series of installations, known variously as Núcleos (ceiling-hung geometric panels forming gradual chromatic experiences) and Propositions or Penetrables (labyrinth-like architectural environments made of sand and semi-permeable cabins).
This supra-sensorial approach continued until his untimely death in 1980 at the age of 42.
Oiticica’s work has been the subject of major recent museum exhibitions, including the critically acclaimed retrospective Hélio Oiticica: To Organize Delirium, which debuted at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Philadelphia in 2016 and traveled to the Art Institute of Chicago and the Whitney Museum of American Art in 2017. Hélio Oiticica: The Body of Color was exhibited at The
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in 2006-2007 and in London at the Tate Modern in 2007. His work is included in the collections of numerous international institutions including Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Inhotim Centro de Arte Contemporãnea, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Museo de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain; Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, USA; Museum of Modern
Art, New York, NY, USA; Tate Modern, London, UK; and Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA, among others. The Projeto Hélio Oiticica was established in Rio de Janeiro in 1980 to manage the artist’s estate.
Hélio Oiticica CV
1980 Died in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1937 Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2022 ‘Hélio Oiticica: Penetrável Macaléia’, Perez Art Museum Miami, Miami, FL, USA
‘Subterranean Tropicália Projects: PN15 1971/2022’, Socrates Sculpture Park,
Queens, NY, USA
‘PN 23 Penetrável, Magic Square 3 – Invention of Color 1978’, Centro Hélio
Oiticica, Brasília, Brazil
‘Hélio Oiticica’, Lisson Gallery, London, UK
2021 ‘PN10’, Centro Municipal de Arte Hélio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2020 ‘Hélio Oiticica: Dance in my Experience’, Museu de de Arte Moderna do Rio de
Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Hélio Oiticica’, Lisson Gallery, New York, NY, USA
‘Hélio Oiticica: Dance in my Experience’, Museu de Arte de São Paulo, São Paulo,
Brazil
2018 ‘Hélio Oiticica: Spatial Relief and Drawings’, 1955-59, Galerie Lelong & Co., New
York, NY, USA
Usina del Arte, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2017 ‘Hélio Oiticica: To Organize Delirium’, Art Institue of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
‘Hélio Oiticica: To Organize Delirium’, Whitney Museum of Art, New York, NY,
USA
2016 ‘Hélio Oiticica: To Organize Delirium’, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA,
USA
2014 ‘Hélio Oiticica: Propositions’, The Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland
2013 ‘Hélio Oiticica: The Great Labyrinth’, MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt
am Main, Germany
‘COSMOCOCA Programa in Progress: Hélio Oiticica/Neville d’Almeida’
Hamburger Bahnhof-Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Berlin, Germany
2012 ‘Penetrables’, Galerie Lelong, New York, NY, USA
2010 ‘Hélio Oiticica: Museu É O Mundo’, Fundação Itaú Cultural, Sao Paulo, Brazil
‘Hélio Oiticica: Museu É O Mundo’, Paço Imperial and Casa Fraça-Brasil, Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
‘Hélio Oiticica: Museu É O Mundo’, Museu Colecção Berardo, Lisbon, Portugal
‘Hélio Oiticica Museu É O Mundo’. Museu Nacional do Conjunto Cultural da
República. Brazil
‘Hélio Oiticica Museu É O Mundo’. Museu Histórico do Pará, Belém. Brazil
2009 ‘Drawings: 1954-58’, Galerie Lelong, New York, NY, USA
2008 ‘Penetrables’, Centro Municipal de Arte Hélio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2007 ‘Hélio Oiticica/Neville D’Almeida: Cosmococa Programa in Progress – QuasiCinema CC1 Trashiscapes’, Alison Jacques Gallery, London, UK
2006 ‘Hélio Oiticica: The Body of Color’, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, USA
‘Hélio Oiticica: The Body of Color’, Tate Modern, London, UK
‘Hélio Oiticica/Neville D’Almeida: Cosmococa Programa in Progress’, Colección
Constantini, Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires,
Argentina
2003 ‘Exposição Momentos: Frames, Cosmococa’, Galeria Fortes Vilaça, São Paulo,
Brazil
‘Hélio Oiticica: Cor, Imagem, Poética’, Centro de Arte Hélio Oiticica, Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
2002 ‘Hélio Oiticica: Obra e Estratégia’, Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Hélio Oiticica: Quasi-Cinema’, Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK
‘Paisagem Zero’, SESC Pompéia, São Paulo, Brazil
2001 ‘Construção do Penetrável Magic Square No. 5’, Museu de Açude, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil
‘Hélio Oiticica: Quasi-Cinemas’, Wexner Center for the Arts, Ohio State University,
Columbus, OH, USA
‘Hélio Oiticica: Quasi-Cinemas’, Kolnischer Kunstverein, Cologne, Germany
‘Hélio Oiticica: Quasi-Cinemas’, Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK
‘Hélio Oiticica: Quasi-Cinemas’, New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York,
NY, USA
2000 ‘Beyond Space’, Havana Biennial, Havana, Cuba
‘Beyond Space’, Centro de Arte Hélio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Beyond Space’, Espaços Públicos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1998 ‘Hélio Oiticica e a Cena Americana’, Centro de Arte Hélio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil
‘Hélio Oiticica DesenHOs’, Centro de Arte Hélio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Hélio Oiticica DesenHOs’, Centro de Estudos Brasileiros, Buenos Aires, Argentina
‘Hélio Oiticica Fotografias’, Galeria Paparazzi, São Paulo, Brazil
1996 ‘Hélio Oiticica’, Centro de Arte Hélio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1992 ‘Hélio Oiticica’, Witte de With, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
‘Hélio Oiticica’, Galerie nationale de Jeu de Paume, Paris, France
‘Hélio Oiticica’, Fundació Antoni Tâpies, Barcelona, Spain
‘Hélio Oiticica’, Centro de Arte Moderna da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon,
Portugal
‘Hélio Oiticica’, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA
1990 ‘Hélio Mangueira Oitcica’, Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil
1989 ‘Grupo Frente e Metaesquemas’, Galeria de Arte São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
1987 Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo, Universidade de São
Paulo, Brazil
1986 ‘O Q Faco e Musica’, Galerie de Arte São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Paço Imperial, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1981 ‘Homanagem a Mário Pedrosa’, Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1980 ‘Hélio Oiticica’, Galeria Chaves, Porto Alegre, Brazil
1972 ‘Metaesquemas’, Galerie Ralph Camargo, São Paulo, Brazil
1969 ‘Hélio Oiticica’, Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK
1968 ‘Apocalipopotesis’, Aterro Park, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1967 ‘Collective Parangole’, Aterro Park, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1966 ‘Environment of Nuclei and Bodies’, Galeria G4, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1961 ‘Os Projectos de Hélio Oiticica’, Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Group Exhibitions
2022 ‘Assembly Required’, Pulitzer Arts Foundation, St. Louis, MO, USA
‘Waiting for Tear Gas’, Philadelphia Museum of Art, PA, USA
2021 ‘This Must Be the Place: Latin American Artists in New York, 1965–1975’, the
Americas Society, New York, NY, USA
2020 Lisson Gallery, London, UK
‘Spectrum’, Lisson Gallery, New York, NY, USA
2018 ‘Comfortably Numb’, Another Space, New York, NY, USA
‘Room 2 Installation’, Glenstone Museum, Potomac, MD, USA
‘O Rio do samba: Resistencia e reinvencao’, Museu de Arte do Rio, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil
‘AI-5 50 Anos’, Tomie Ohtake Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
‘Conceptual Strategies’
‘Signals: If You Like I Shall Grow’, Thomas Dane Gallery, London, UK
‘Southern Geometries’, Foundation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris, France
‘Memories of Underdevelopment: Art and the Decolonial Turn in Latin America,
1960-1985’, Museo Jumex, Mexico City, Mexico
‘Géométries Américaines: Du Mexique á la Terre de Feu’, Fondation Cartier pour
l’art contemporain, Paris, France
‘A Tale of Two Worlds. Experimental Latin American Art in Dialogue with the
MMK Collection 1940s-1980s’, MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt am
Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Museo de Arte Moderno, Buenos Aires,
Argentina
‘The Everywhere Studio’, The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, FL, USA
2017 ‘Memories of Underdevelopment: Art and the Decolonial Turn in Latin America,
1960-1985’, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, CA, USA
‘Performer and Participant’, Tate Modern, London, UK
‘Delirious’, The Met Breuer, New York, NY, USA
‘Ismo, Ismo, Ismo: Cine Experimental en America Latina’, Getty Institute, Los
Angeles, CA, USA
‘Making Concrete: Works from Argentina and Brazil in the Colleccion Patricia
Phelps de Cisneros’, Pacific Central Time, Getty Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
‘Purity is a Myth’, Galaria Nara Roesler, São Paulo, Brazil
‘Grupo Frente’, Galerie Lelong, New York, NY, USA
‘Color’, Waddington Custot, London, UK
‘L’emozione dei COLORI nell’arte’, GAM, Castello de Rivoli, Italy
2016 ‘Collection Fadel’, Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires,
Argentina
‘Antropogagia y Modernidad: Arte brasileño en la Colección Fadel, Museo de Arte
Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
‘Narrative/Collaborative’, Galerie Lelong, New York, NY, USA
2015 ‘International Pop’, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA, USA
‘What Comes After a Sudden Death’, Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, Germany
‘Possibilities of the Object: Experiments in Modern and Contemporary Brazilian
Art’, The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
‘International Pop’, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA
‘Adventures of the Black Square: Abstract Art and Society 1915-2015’, Whitechapel
Art Gallery, London, UK
‘From the Object to the World: Inhotim Collection’, Itaú Cultural, São Paulo, Brazil
2014 ‘Artevida (Política)’, Museu de Arte Moderna Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Radical Geometry: Modern Art of South America form the Patricia Phelps de
Cisneros Collection’, Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK
‘América Latina 1960-2013. Photos + Text’, Museo Amparo, Puebla, Mexico
‘Alimentário – Arte e patrimônio alimentar brasilerio’, Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Tupi Or Not Tupi’, Museu Oscar Niemeyer, Curitiba, Brazil
‘Do Valongo á Favela: imaginário e periferia’, Museu de Arte do Rio, Rio de
Janerio, Brazil
‘Unbound: Contemporary Art after Frida Kahlo’, Museum of Contemporary Art
Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
‘Playgrounds. Reinventing the Square’, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía,
Madrid, Spain
‘Josephine Baker and Le Corbusier in Rio – A Transatlantic Affair’, Museu de Arte
do Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Vontade Construtiva na Coleção Fadel’, Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo, São
Paulo, Brazil
‘Impulse, Reason, Sense, Conflict’, Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation, Miami, FL,
USA
‘Other Primary Structures: Others 1’, The Jewish Museum, New York, NY, USA
‘Drawings & Works on Paper’, Galerie Lelong, New York, NY, USA
2013 ‘America Latina, 1960-2013’, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris,
France
‘White’, Dickinson Roundell Inc., New York, NY, USA
‘Encuentros / Tensiones. Arte latinoamericano contemporáneo. Colección Malba +
Comodatos, MALBA Colección Costantini’, Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de
Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
‘Brasiliana Installations From 1960 To The Present’, Schirn Kunsthalle,
Frankfurt/Main, Germany
‘Tropicalia Negra’, Museo Experimental El Eco, Mexico City, Mexico
‘Curators’ Series #6. Friends of London. Artists from Latin America in London from
196X – 197X’, The David Roberts Art Foundation, London, UK
‘The Content of Form’, Generali Foundation, Vienna, Austria
‘Concrete Remains: Postwar and Contemporary Art from Brazil’, Tierney Gardarin
Gallery, New York, NY, USA
‘Discussion, envoy enterprises’, New York, NY
‘Pop, Realismi e Politica. Brasile – Argentina, anni Sessanta’, Galleria d’Arte
Moderna e Contemporanea di Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
‘Constructive Will in the Fadel Collection’, Museu de Arte do Rio, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil
‘sous influences – arts plastiques et psychotropes’, La Maison Rouge, Paris, France
‘Foreign body – Corpo Estranho’, another vacant space, Berlin, Germany
‘Open Work in Latin America, New York & Beyond: Conceptualism Reconsidered,
1967-1978’, Hunter College, New York, NY, USA
‘CC6 Coke’s Head Soup – Hélio Oiticica/Thomas Valentin, Hamburger Bahnhof,
Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin, Germany
‘La invención concreta. Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, Museo Nacional
Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain
‘Sex, Money and Power’, Maison Particulière Art Center, Brussel, Belgium
‘Tate Modern displays’, Tate Modern, London, UK
‘Constructive Will in the Fadel Collection’, Museu de Arte do Rio, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil
‘DLA Piper Series: Constellations’, Tate Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
‘Summer Exposure’, Galerie Lelong, New York, NY, USA
‘EDGE, ORDER, RUPTURE’, Galerie Lelong, New York, NY, USA
‘Arts Under Influences’, La Maison Rouge, Paris, France
‘Open Work in Latin America, New York & Beyond: Conceptualism Reconsidered,
1967-1978’, The Bertha and Karl Leubsdorf Art Gallery, CUNY Hunter College,
New York, NY, USA
2012 ‘Roesler Hotel #21 – Buzz’, Galeria Nara Roesler, São Paulo, Brazil
‘América do Sul, a Pop Arte das contradições’, Museu Oscar Niemeyer, Curitiba,
Brazil
‘Specters of Artaud: Language and the Arts in the 1950s’, Museo Nacional Centro de
Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain
‘Arte de contradicciones. Pop, realismos y política. Brasil – Argentina 1960’,
Fundación PROA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
‘De La Generosidad: Obras De La Colección Helga De Alvear’, Centro Gallego de
Arte Contemporánea, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
‘Suprasensorial: Experiments in Light, Color and Space’, Hirshhorn Museum and
Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C., USA
‘Concrete Parallels’, DAN galeria, São Paulo, Brazil
‘Topsy Turvy’, De Appel arts centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
‘Lygia Pape’, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain
2011 ‘The 1950s: (Neo-) Concretism’, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium in
conjunction with Europalia.Brasil
‘Brazil.Brazil’, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium, in conjunction with
Europalia.Brasil
‘Terra Brasilis’, ING Cultural Center, Brussels, Belgium, in conjunction with
Europalia.Brasil
‘A Rua (The Street)’, Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst Antwerpen, Antwerpen,
Belgium
‘Malba: Ten Years’, Malba-Fundación Costantini (Museo de Arte Latinoamericano
de Buenos Aires), Argentina
‘Playing with Form: Concrete Art from Brazil’, Dickinson, New York, NY, USA
Galería de Arte Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Athena Galería de Arte, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Reinvention of the Modern’, Gagosian Gallery, Project space, Paris, France
‘Art and Confrontation in Latin America: 1910-2010’, Palacio de Bellas Artes and
Ex Teresa Arte Actual, Mexico City, Mexico
‘Interventions in the Landscape’, Galerie Lelong, New York, NY, USA
2010 ‘Territories of Desire’, Museo Universitario Arte Contemporaneo, Mexico D.F.,
Mexico
São Paulo Biennial, São Paulo, Brazil
‘Suprasensorial: Experiments in Light, Color, and Space’, The Geffen Contemporary
at the Garden, Washington D.C., USA
‘Hélio Oiticica, Lygia Clark e Lygia Pape’, Baró Galeria, São Paulo, Brazil
‘Everlasting Gobstopper’, Michael Benevento, Los Angeles, CA, USA
‘Expanded Horizon’, Santander Cultural, Porto Alegre, Brazil
‘The Shape of Abstraction’, Boston University Art Gallery, Boston, MA, USA
‘Hélio Oiticica/Rirkit Tiravanija: Contact’, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN,
USA
‘Arsenal’, Baró Galeria, São Paulo, Brazil
2009 ‘Textiles: Art and the Social Fabric’, Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp,
Belgium
‘Mexico: Expected/Unexpected’, TEA Tenerife Space for the Arts, Canary Islands;
Stedelijk Museum Scheidam, The Netherlands; Museum of Contemporary Art San
Diego, CA, USA
‘Target Practice: Painting Under Attack 1949-78’, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA,
USA
‘Brazil Contemporary’, Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam, The
Netherlands
‘North Looks South: Building the Latin American Art Collection’, Museum of Fine
Arts, Houston, TX, USA
‘NÓS’, Museu da República, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Hot Spots: Rio de Janeiro / Milan – Turin / Los Angeles, 1956-1969’, Kunsthaus
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
‘Intersections: The Grand Concourse at 100’, The Bronx Museum of Arts, Bronx,
NY, USA
2008 ‘Here is Every: Four Decades of Contemporary Art’, Museum of Modern Art, New
York, NY, USA
‘Color in to Light: Selections from the MFAH Collection’, Museum of Fine Arts,
Houston, TX, USA
‘Isabel and Agustin Coppel Collection, Mexico: Expected / Unexpected’, La Maison
Rouge, Paris, France
‘When Lives Become Form – Contemporary Brazilian Art: 1960-Present’, Museum
of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San
Francisco, CA, USA
‘Untitled (Vicarious): Photographing the Constructed Object’, Gagosian Gallery,
New York, NY, USA
‘Latin American and Caribbean Art: Selected Highlights from the Collection of The
Museum of Modern Art’, New York State Museum, Albany, NY, USA
‘Time & Place: Rio de Janeiro 1956-1964’, Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden
‘Face to Face: Part 2’, The Daros Collections, Zurich, Switzerland
‘Arte ≠ Vida: Actions by Artists of the Americas, 1960-2000’, El Museo del Barrio,
New York, NY, USA
‘Correspondences: Contemporary Art from the Coleccion Patricia Phelps de
Cisneros’, Beard Gallery and Weil Gallery, Watson Fine Arts, Wheaton College,
Norton, MA, USA
2007 ‘New Perspectives in Latin American Art, 1930-2006: Prints, Photographs, and
Media Works’, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, USA
‘Face to Face’, The Daros Collections, Zurich, Switzerland
‘Sympathy for the Devil: Art and Rock and Roll since 1967’, Museum of
Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL, USA
‘Dimensions of Constructive Art in Brazil: The Adolpho Leirner Collection’,
Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Houston, TX, USA
‘Dimensions of Constructive Art in Brazil: The Adolpho Leirner Collection’, Haus
Konstruktiv, Zurich, Switzerland
‘Constructing a Poetic Universe: The Diane and Bruce Halle Collection of Latin
American Art’, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Houston, TX, USA
‘The Geometry of Hope: Latin American Abstract Art from the Patricia Phelps de
Cisneros Collection’, Blanton Museum of Art, University of Texas at Austin, Austin,
TX, USA; Grey Art Gallery at New York University, New York, NY, USA
2006 ‘Certain Encounters: Daros-Latinamerica Collection’, Morris and Helen Belkin Art
Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
‘Concreta ’56: A Raiz da Forma’, Museum of Modern Art, São Paulo, Brazil
‘Defamation of Character’, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, NY,
USA
2005 ‘Collection Remixed’, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, The Bronx, NY, USA
‘Open Systems: Rethinking Art c.1970’, Tate Modern, London, UK
‘Spectrum’, Galerie Lelong, New York, NY, USA
‘Tropicália: A revolution in Brazilian Culture’, Museum of Contemporary Art,
Chicago, IL, USA
‘Tropicália: A revolution in Brazilian Culture’, The Barbican Gallery, London, UK;
The Bronx Museum, the Bronx, NY, USA
2004 ‘Beyond Geometry: Experiments in Form, 1940’s-70’s’, Los Angeles County
Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Miami Art Museum, Miami, FL, USA
‘Inverted Utopias: Avant-Garde Art in Latin America’, Museum of Fine Arts,
Houston, TX, USA
‘MoMA at El Museo: Latin American and Caribbean Art from the Collection of the
Museum of Modern Art’, El Museo del Barrio, New York, NY, USA
‘Organized Delirium: New York 1970-1978’, Galerie Lelong, New York, NY, USA
2003 ‘The Last Picture Show: Artists Using Photography, 1960-1982’, Walker Arts
Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA; UCLA Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA, USA;
Fotomuseum, Winterthur, Switzerland
‘X-Screen: Film Installations and Actions of the 1960’s and 1970’s’, Factory
Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien, Vienna, Austria
2002 ‘Brazil: Body and Soul’, Guggenheim Foundation, New York, NY, USA
‘Caminhos do Contemporâneo, Paço Imperial, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Parallels: Brazilian Art of the Second Half of the Twentieth Century in Context –
Colección Cisneros’, Museu de Arte Moderna, São Paulo, Brazil; Museu de Arte
Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘poT’, Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool, UK; Galeria Fortes Vilaçia, São Paulo, Brazil
‘St. Petrischnee’, Migros Museum, Zürich, Switzerland
2001 ‘Central Cities’, Tate Modern, London, UK
‘Da Adversidade Vivemos’, Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris, France
‘Geometric Abstraction in Latin American Art: the Patricia Phelps de Cisneros
Collection’, Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
2000 ‘Beyond Preconceptions: The Sixties Experiment’, National Gallery of Prague,
Prague, Czech Republic; Zacheta National Gallery of Contemporary Art, Warsaw,
Poland; Museo de Arte Moderno, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Paço Imperial, Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil; Museu de Ate Moderna, São Paulo, Brazil; Freedman Gallery,
Albright Center for the Arts, Reading, PA, USA; Samuel P. Harn Museum,
University of South Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Berkeley Art Museum,
University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
‘Campos de Fuerzas: Un Ensayo Sobre lo Cinético’, Museu d’Art Contemporani de
Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
‘Force Fields’, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, Barcelona, Spain
‘Heterotipos Faces del Cinetico’, Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain
‘Mostra Redescobrimento – Brasil 500 Anos’, Museu de Arte Moderna, São Paulo,
Brazil
‘Vivencias’, Generali Foundation, Vienna, Austria
1999 ‘Circa 1968’, Fundação Serralves, Porto, Portugal
‘Exercise of Freedom’, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA, USA
‘Global Conceptualism’, Queens Museum of Art, Queens, NY, USA; Walker Art
Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Museum of Modern Art, Miami, FL
‘Objecto’, Itacultural, São Paulo, Brazil; Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil
‘Poéticas da Cor’, Centro Cultural Light, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Trouble Spot Painting’, Museum of Contemporary Art, Antwerp, Belgium
1998 ’30 Anos de Tropicalismo’, Museo de Arte Moderna da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia,
Brazil
‘Il Bienal Internacional de Fotografia’, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
1997 ‘Bienal do Mercosul’, Porto Alegre, Brazil
‘Documenta X’, Kassel, Germany
1995 ‘Bloco Experiences’, Marian Goodman Gallery, New York, NY, USA
‘Hall of Mirrors’, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA, USA
1994 ‘22 Bienal da São Paulo: Fundaçnão Bienal, Sala Especial Bloco – Experiêncas in
Cosmococa – Program in Progress’, Galeria de Arte São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
1992 ‘Brazilian Art’, Kunsthaus, Zürich, Switzerland
‘Artistas latinoamericanos del siglo XX’, Comisaria de la Ciudad de Sevilla para
1992; ‘Art d’Amerique Latine 1911-1968’, to Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris,
France; Josef-Haubrich Kunsthalle, Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany; Museum
of Modern Art, New York, NY, USA
1991 ‘Experiência Neoconcreta: Rio de Janeiro, 59/60’, Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
‘Imagem sobre Imagem’, Espaço Cultural Sérgio Porto, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1989 ‘Art in Latin America – The Modern Era, 1820-1980’, Hayward Gallery, London,
UK; National Museum Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden; Palacio de Velásquez,
Madrid, Spain
‘Mundo Abrigo’, Galeria 110 Arte Contemporânea, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘The Latin American Spirit: Art and Artists in the United States 1920-1970’, The
Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Bronx, NY, USA
1988 ‘Arte Brasileira do Século XX’, Museu de Arte Moderna, São Paulo, Brazil
‘Brazil Projects’, PS1 – the Institute for Art and Urban Resources, Inc. and
Sociedade Cultural Art-Brasil, Long Island City, NY, USA
1987 ‘Latin American Artists in New York since 1970’, Archer M. Huntington Art
Gallery, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
‘Modernidade: Art Brésilien du 20e Siècle’, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de
Paris, Paris, France
‘Palavra Imagica’, Museu de Arte Contemporana, São Paulo, Brazil
‘Tropicalia: 20 Anos’, Centro de Lazer SESC Pompeia, São Paulo, Brazil
1986 ‘IX Salão Nacional’, FUNARTE, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘JK e Os Anos 50 – Uma Visão da Cultura e do Cotidiano’, Galeria Investiarte, Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Lygia Clark e Hélio Oiticica’, Sala especial do 9 Salão Nacional de Artes Plasticas,
Paço Imperial, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Museu de Arte Contemporãnea, São Paulo,
Brazil
1985 ‘i’, FUNARTE, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘A Arte e Seus Materiais-Atitudes Contemporaneas’, Sala Especial do Salão
Nacional de Artes Plasticas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Opinião 65’, Galeria de Arte BANERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Tropicália, Gil-20 Anos Luz’, Anhembi, São Paulo, Brazil
1984 ‘Colecão Gilberto Chateuabriand – Retrato e Auto-Retrato da Arte Brasileira’,
Museu de Arte Moderna, São Paulo, Brazil
‘Grupo Frente 1954-1956; I Exposicao Nacional de Arte Astrata – Hotel Quitandinha
1953’, Galeria de Arte BANERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Neoconcretismo 1959-1961’, Ciclo de Exposicoes sobre Arte no Rio de Janeiro –
Galeria de Arte BANERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Portrais of a Country – Brazilian Modern Art from the Gilberto Chateaubriand
Collection’, Barbican Art Gallery, London, UK
1983 ‘Quase Cinema’, FUNARTE / Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1981 ‘Latin American Artists’, Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland
1978 ‘Objecto na Arte: Brasil Anos 60’, Museu de Arte Brasileira da FAAP, São Paulo,
Brazil
1976 ‘Arte Brasileira, Seculo XX – Caminhos e Tendencias’, Galeria de Arte Global, São
Paulo, Brazil
1973 ‘Expoprojeção’, São Paulo, Brazil
1972 ‘Exposição’, Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1970 ‘Abstracao Geometrica – Concretismo e Neoconcretismo’, Galeria FUNARTE, Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Information’, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, USA
‘Ogramurbana’, Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1967 ‘IV Modern Art Salon’, Brasil
‘V Biennale de Paris’, Musee d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris, France
‘Apresentacao da Vanguarda Brasileira’, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais,
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
‘Barata, Waldemar Cordeiro, Hélio Oiticica’, Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
‘I Bienal Nacional de Artes Pasticas’, Secretaria de Educacao e Cultura da Bahia,
Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
‘Ninth International Art Exhibition of Japan’, Tokyo, Japan
‘Nova Objetividade Brasileira’, Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1966 Galeria Atrium, São Paulo, Brazil
‘Opinião 66’, Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1965 ‘VIII Viennial’, São Paulo, Brazil
‘Opinião 65’, Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Quarta Exposicao do Grupo Frente’, Cia Siderúgica Nacional, Volta Redonda, Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil
1961 ‘Exposicao Neoconcreta’, Museu de Arte Moderna, São Paulo, Brazil
1960 ‘Konkrete Kunst’, Zürich, Switzerland
1959 ‘Exposicao Neoconcreta’, Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/
Ministerio da Educacao e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Museu de Arte Moderna,
Parque Ibirapuera, São Paulo, Brazil; Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
1957 ‘Arte Moderno en Brasil: Esculturas, Pinturas, Dibujos, Grabados’, Museu Nacional
de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires, Argentina
‘Biennial’, São Paulo, Brazil
‘Modern Art of Brazil’, Museo Nacional de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
1956 ‘Secuondo Exposicao do Grupo Frente’, Resende, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Volta
Redonda, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Exposicao Neoconcreta’, Museu de Arte Moderna, São Paulo, Brazil; Ministerio da
Educacao e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
‘Pintura Brasileña Contemporanea’, Montevideo, Uruguay
1955 ‘Premiero Exposicao do Grupo Frente’, Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janerio,
Brazil
Filmography
Agripina é Roma-Manhattan, 1972, super-8 (unfinished)
Brasil Jorge, c. 1971, super-8
Cosmococa Programa in Progress, 1973, ‘Experience-Blocks’ composed of slides,
soundtrack and instructions, designated CC1 to CC9
CC1 – Trashiscapes, with Neville d’Almeida
CC2 – Onobject, with Neville d’Almeida
CC3 – Maileryn, with Neville d’Almeida
CC4 – Nocagions, with Neville d’Almeida
CC5 – Hendrix-war, with Neville d’Almeida
CC6, with Thomas Valentin, 1973, slides, soundtrack and instructions
CC7, with Guy Brett, 1973, slides, soundtrack and instructions
CC8, alone or with Vigilia / Über Coca, proposal for Silviano Santiago, 1973,
slides, soundtrack and instructions
CC9 – Coca Oculta proposal for Carlos Vergara, 1973, slides, soundtrack and
instructions
Helena inventa Ângela Maria, 1975, 5 ‘Experience-Blocks’, with slides, soundtrack
and instructions that vary according to the situation
Neyrotika, 1973, 80 slides with soundtrack and instructions (unfinished)
Norma inventa La Bengell, 1975 (unfinished)
Awards
1970 Guggenheim Fellowship, New York, NY, USA
1969 Artist-in-Residence, Sussex University, Brighton, UK
Monographs
Basualdo, Carlos. Hélio Oiticica: Quasi-Cinemas. Ostfildern, Germany: Hatje Cantz,
2001.
Brett, Guy and Luciano Figueiredo. Oiticica in London. London, UK: Tate
Publishing, 2007.
D’Almeida, Neville and Hélio Oiticica. Cosmococa: Programa in Progress. Rio de
Janeiro: Projecto Hélio Oiticica, 2005.
Figueiredo, Luciano. Hélio Oiticica: Painting Beyond the Frame. Rio de Janeiro:
Silvia Roesler edicoes de arte, 2008.
Ramírez, Mari Carmen. Hélio Oiticica: The Body of Color. Houston: Museum of
Fine Arts, Houston, 2007.
Small, Irene. Hélio Oiticica: Folding the Frame. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 2016.
Zelevansky, Lynne, Elisabeth Sussman, James Rondeau, et al. Hélio Oiticica: To
Organize Delirium. Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Museum of Art, 2016.
Collections
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation, Miami, FL, USA
Colección Isabel and Agustin Coppel, Mexico
Daros-Latinamerica, Zürich, Switzerland
Frankel Foundation, Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA
Glenstone Foundation, Potomac, MD, USA
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Inhotim Centro de Arte Contemporânea, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Museo de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain
Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Museu de Arte Contemporanea de Niterói, Brazil
Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, USA
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, USA
Pérez Art Museum Miami, FL, USA
Tate Modern, London, UK
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA
