Rio de Janeiro receives unprecedented exhibition with 50 original and rare works by Portinari

A Portinari as never seen before. This is the promise of the exhibition “Portinari Raros”, which will be open to the public from this Wednesday (29), at the Centro Cultural do Banco do Brasil (CCBB), in Rio de Janeiro.

Curated by Marcello Dantas, the show features around 50 unpublished works by Candido Portinari (1903-1962), one of the most important Brazilian artists of all time.

“The beauty of this work is that it seeks not only what is hidden, but what was not known so much or that was not recorded in image”, he revealed to the CNN Marcello Dantas.

In addition to paintings and drawings using different techniques, other artistic manifestations with different languages ​​reveal an eclectic Portinari, little known until then.

“Indigenous peoples, swastikas, those evicted on the street, agricultural issues, the importance of dialogue between species. In other words, the entire theme of Portinari is still quite relevant. This is what most people know, that he was a socially engaged painter, but many do not know the scope of this vision. Portinari had an environmental mindset, about ethnic identity, among other concerns”, explains Dantas.

Among the highlights of the exhibition are the work “A Morte Cavalgando” (1955), a rare study material that gave rise to the panel “War”, installed at the entrance of the UN General Assembly, in 1956, and “Landscape with Vultures” (1944) , project for the setting of “Balé Iara”, the first Brazilian ballet to enter the international circuit.

With the Second World War, the Original Ballet Russe began touring the Americas and sought to enrich its repertoire, incorporating bold and modernist conceptions of important local artists. Thus, the script was commissioned to the poet Guilherme de Almeida; the music to maestro Francisco Mignone and the sets and costumes to Portinari. In addition to the oil on cardboard backdrop design, the costumes created by Portinari will also be on display, in a digital animation.

According to the creators of the project, the entire setting of the exhibition was designed to create a scenario of immersion in Portinari’s universe. For this, some walls were composed of drawings by Portinari himself, which gave rise to the works that will be exhibited in that environment. In the “Flores” section, real arrangements of dried flowers, of species that inspired Portinari to paint the works, will compose the walls.

In an interview with CNN Brazil, João Candido Portinari, the artist’s only son, reveals that even he was surprised by the originality of some of the works on display. Candido also fondly recalled his father’s passion for art.

“He was a great experimenter. He had infinite courage, even over other painters. When another painter fell in love with him, he absorbed the technique, the brushstroke, the form of expression”, João said.

The exhibition is the only ceramic produced by the artist, which can be seen in the childhood center, in addition to the exhibition “Carrossel Raisonné”, a projection that displays about 9 consecutive hours with more than 5,000 works by Candido Portinari.

“It’s been 40 years of dedication during which he did, on average, 1 piece of work every 3 days. This resulted in more than 5400 works that we have all archived”, highlights João Candido Portinari.

Portinari Rare

• Opening: June 29, 2022 at 9 am
• Exhibition: until September 12, 2022
• Banco do Brasil Cultural Center Rio de Janeiro
• Address: Rua Primeiro de Março, 66 – Downtown Rio de Janeiro – RJ
• Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, from 9 am to 9 pm. Sunday, from 9 am to 8 pm.
• Indicative rating: free
• Free admission, with tickets available at the CCBB RJ box office or at site