Sesc SP 2018: art in perspective

In 2018, Sesc São Paulo presents a broad range of exhibitions, approaching contemporary art from a plural perspective and promoting initiatives that democratically attend to its 38 venues. The exhibits announced for the first six months of the year show great interest in fostering and promoting Brazilian and international contemporary art, with the spotlight shining on Latin America and the region known as the Global South. To that end, initiatives that promote greater diversity in art history and a more open approach to other expressions of global culture are encouraged, especially those emerging from contexts outlying the world hegemonic order.

The year started with the opening of Travessias Ocultas – Lastro Bolívia (Hidden Crossings–Bolivia Bound), a project curated by Beatriz Lemos that stemmed from a trip taken by the curator and the artists to Bolivia. The exhibit showcases the processes developed by guest artists throughout 2017 and an encompassing public program covering local content, Bolivian communities in São Paulo and the popular culture of this Latin-American country. Programs will run from January to May at Sesc Bom Retiro, a cultural centre located in an area boasting the largest number of Bolivian communities, restaurants and meet-ups in São Paulo.

Focusing on Central America, the exhibition Jamaica, Jamaica! brings us the country’s musical and cultural wealth. The project is the result of a partnership with French institution Cité de la musique – Paris Philharmonie and runs from March to August at Sesc 24 de Maio. Subtitled “From Marley to deejays,” it features a wide array of documents, historical objects, ample iconography, musical recordings, audiovisual records, and relatable artistic and graphic productions that tell the story from a post-colonial perspective. According to curator Sebastién Carayol, this perspective ranges from slavery to pan-Africanism, presenting a narrative that is outlined by a process of de-colonization through music.

Shining a light on the Brazilian experience, in April, Sesc Pompeia will exhibit Lugares do Delírio (Places of Delirium) in partnership with Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR). The project, conceived by Paulo Herkenhoff and curated by professor and psychoanalyst Tania Rivera, delineates a political and ethical reflection on madness and art, with special attention being paid to the Brazilian scenario. The exhibit will include approximately 150 artworks by artists such as Cildo Meireles, Laura Lima, Anna Maria Maiolino, Arthur Bispo do Rosário, Fernand Deligny, Fernando Diniz, Claudio Paiva and Geraldo Lucio Aragão, among others.

Changing perspectives from this project, which concentrates on the assumption that both art and madness share the ability and the power to change reality, in May, the exhibition Yoyo, tudo que vai, volta (Yoyo, everything that goes around, comes around) features Brazilian artists selected by Ricardo Ribenboim, who evoke, each in their own way, a playful and liberating universe devoted to children, at Sesc Belenzinho. Additionally, writer and curator João Bandeira takes a dive into the historiography of Brazilian art by proposing a selection of artists who were at the forefront of the public debate on art in Brazil in the ‘60s. The show Entre Construção e Apropriação: Antonio Dias, Geraldo de Barros, Rubens Gerchman (Between Construction and Appropriation: Antonio Dias, Geraldo de Barros, Rubens Gerchman) runs from March to May at Sesc Pinheiros.

Lastly, for the re-opening of its Avenida Paulista venue, in April, Sesc SP will showcase American artist Bill Viola’s works in an unprecedented exhibit that will highlight videos and installations produced since the 2000s. The selected works cover the artist’s investigations into the performing body, and present various situations depicting the human condition and existence. Well-known video installations, such as The Quintet of the Silent and Study for the Path, share the exhibition space with the more recent series “Inverted Birth and Martyr.”