Human-animal fusion is the theme of an exhibition in Rio.
The relationship between humans and animals is the theme of the exhibition "Imaginary Creatures" at the Casa do Pontal Museum in Rio de Janeiro. Through 18 pieces by the Pernambuco artist Manoel Galdino (1929-1996), the exhibition engages with interpretations of popular and contemporary culture regarding the fusion between humans and animals, a frequent theme in Brazilian culture.
Isabela Vieira
Reporter from Agência Brasil
Rio de Janeiro - The relationship between humans and animals is the theme of the exhibition. Imaginary Creatures, which opens today (30) at the Casa do Pontal Museum, in Rio de Janeiro. Through 18 pieces by the Pernambuco artist Manoel Galdino (1929-1996), the exhibition engages with readings of popular and contemporary culture for the fusion between human beings and animals, frequent in Brazilian culture.
Of the 23 pieces in the exhibition, 18 are by Galdino and are part of the museum's collection. The others are works by Angelo Venosa, Cristina Salgado, and Eliane Duarte, which were held by the Museum of Contemporary Art of Niterói (MAC), a partner in the exhibition at Casa do Pontal. The contemporary artist Zé Carlos Garcia also loaned a piece from his own collection for the exhibition.
According to the museum's director and curator of the exhibition, Angela Macelani, among the highlights of the exhibition is a clay piece, about 1 meter tall, by Galdino, called... Monster and a work by the artist Cristina Salgado, measuring 1,2 meters, entitled Observant Woman, which is a reading of a "female dog", with eyes scattered all over its body.
“All the works address the boundaries between man and beast. In some way: what common body is this [animal or human] that we have? They are ambiguous beings, half human, half beast, who share a humanized, or animalized, world, let's say, which are strong issues in the legends of Brazilian culture, for example,” said the curator, who is an anthropologist.
According to the curator, a structure by Angelo Venosa, which uses bones in its composition, is also among the most intriguing pieces. "It's a light, hollow structure, 2 meters long, that seems to be covered by a skin. They are non-human bones that evoke in us the memory of the transience of any life, including a human life," said Angela about the piece, which has no name.
Sample Imaginary Creatures It remains open to the public until March 30th, from Tuesday to Sunday, between 9:30 am and 17 pm. Tickets cost R$ 4 for adults and R$ 2 for children/students. The Casa do Pontal Museum is located at Estrada do Pontal, 3.295, in Recreio, west zone of Rio de Janeiro.