For Art Basel Miami Beach 2024, Gomide&Co is pleased to present a selection of works ranging from artists who were exponents of the Movimento Neoconcreto [Neo-Concrete Movement] of the 1950s in Rio de Janeiro—such as Hélio Oiticica, Lygia Pape, Lygia Clark and Ivan Serpa—to artists who were in some way influenced by them, whether working with abstract and geometric investigations, researching themes related to them or exploring the vast possibilities of using of color.
The Grupo Frente, bringing together artists who were at the forefront of Abstract Geometry in Brazil, was headed by painter and engraver Ivan Serpa and made up of members such as Clark, Oiticica, Pape, and others. Artists who sought to critically connect with the political and social reality of Brazil at the time, the members of Grupo Frente left a significant impact on new generations with their artistic productions, challenging dogmas regarding the role of art and artists in society. Ivan Serpa, an artist with an extensive output, was a teacher for some years at the Museu de Arte Moderna in Rio de Janeiro, where he taught Miriam Inez da Silva, an artist whose work is exclusively presented at Gomide&Co's Kabinett.
A chronicler of Brazil's modernization processes, Miriam's paintings depict aspects of Rio's socio-urban fabric, including scenes from popular festivals and domestic scenes, delving into malice, transgression, religiosity and sexuality. Like Miriam, another artist who brings references to popular festivals—such as Carnival—is Beatriz Milhazes, a Rio artist who works with a strong palette in her geometric compositions, with elements that explicitly dialog with the dynamism of the popular repertoire of street festivals in Brazil.
The selection also features works by Mira Schendel from the 1970s and 1980s. Canonical, Mira Schendel was a great investigator of abstraction, its techniques, the word and the use of color. Here are works such as some from her Toquinhos series, in which she creates subtle layers and textures by gluing squares of paper—colored or not—together with punctuation marks and letters onto Japanese paper. Also included in the selection are works from the end of her life, when the artist worked in tempera and gold leaves on wood.
The selection also includes contemporary artists such as Jac Leirner, Lucas Arruda, Sonia Gomes, Adriana Varejão, Leonilson, Megumi Yuasa, Luiz Zerbini, and others.
