August 28–October 4, 2014
Opening: August 28, 19h
Galeria Leme
Av. Valdemar Ferreira, 130
São Paulo
Brasil
Hours: Monday–Friday 10–19h,
Saturday 10–17h
T +55 11 3093 8184
info [at] galerialeme.com
Curated by Tomás Toledo
The group exhibition uses the story of Galeria Leme—a building designed by architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha that has been built, demolished and then rebuilt in another site—as a motto to investigate the process of urban development of the city of São Paulo, which was marked by cycles of construction, demolition and construction.
Within a century, São Paulo has ceased to be a town with colonial features made of taipa* and of minor importance in the national economic scene, to become a rich coffee-producing city and then an industrial and commercial hub. These historical and urban moments were overlaid by urban development and have shaped today’s city.
This dynamic occupation of the land reveals the way in which São Paulo deals with its past and how it builds its historical narratives, evidencing the forces of power that shape the urban and social fabric of the city.
Given this historical period and this critical perspective, the exhibition articulates four cores for discussion: the building of Galeria Leme, processes of construction and destruction, the urban and architectural development of São Paulo and, finally, real estate speculation.
The presented works structure these cores, suggesting relationships between the idea of construction as material edification, with the idea of construction as conceptual elaboration. Thus, it creates a space to confront elements and typologies of the urban landscape with the processes of elaboration of historical and fictional narratives about the city of São Paulo.
*”Taipa” is a vernacular construction technique based on clay (mud) and gravel used for the purpose of erecting a wall.
“Tapume,” temporary fence or cover usually used in construction sites.
Artists: Alexandre Brandão, Ana Mazzei, Beto Shwafaty, Bruno Baptistelli, Fábio Tremonte, Francesco Di Tillo, Héctor Zamora, Jaime Lauriano, Lais Myrrha, Pablo Accinelli,Sandra Gamarra and Sandra Nakamura
Acknowledgement: Galeria Jaqueline Martins, Galeria Luisa Strina, Galeria Pilar, Luciana Brito Galeria, Manoel Macedo Galeria de Arte and Wu Galeria.
About Tomás Toledo
Born in São Paulo in 1986. Lives and works in São Paulo. Tomás holds a degree in Philosophy from PUC-SP and is an independent curator and art researcher. Between 2009 and 2013, he operates in coordinating and scheduling courses and cultural activities at Escola São Paulo, where he organized and produced exhibitions from artists such as Thomas Hirschhorn, Janine Antoni and Paul Ramirez Jonas. Curatorial works: Heist Films Entertainment (solo show from Gustavo von Ha), MON – Museu Oscar Niemeyer, Curitiba, 2014; O Enunciado em Questão, Curatorial Lab of SP Arte 2013, São Paulo, 2013; and Espaço Urbano, Escola São Paulo, São Paulo, 2009. Participated as a researcher at Ciclo de Portfólios 2014 of Casa Tomada, between 2013 and 2014. Currently he participates in the third edition of the PIESP training program for artists and curators, directed by Adriano Pedrosa and co-directed by Ana Paula Cohen.
