Exhibition "The Artivists: Carlos Scliar and Cildo Meireles"

To mark 20 years of Carlos Scliar Museum House, the exhibition opened “The Artivists: Carlos Scliar and Cildo Meireles”, which unites, for the first time, the work of these two important artists. “Scliar was fundamental in my life”, says Cildo Meireles about his friend who died in 2001. Curated by Cristina Ventura, coordinator of the museum house, around thirty works will be presented, some of which are new, covering a period that goes from 1940s until 2021. Participatory works, inspired by the works of the two artists, complete the exhibition. The exhibition, which will have free entry until the end of August, is presented by the Federal Government, Ministry of Culture, Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Secretariat of State for Culture and Creative Economy of Rio de Janeiro through the Paulo Gustavo Law .

“The idea is to provoke in the viewer an invitation to reflection, instigated by the current issues addressed by the artists in their works. Topics such as: state crimes, environment, war, monetary value, among others. Our purpose is for people to think about their role in today’s world”, says curator Cristina Ventura.

The works of Cildo Meireles and Carlos Scliar will be exhibited together, as a large installation, without following a chronological order. There are paintings, drawings, collages, studies, engravings, objects and videos. By Cildo, there will be the notes “Zero Dólar” (1984) and “Zero Cruzeiro” (1978), the sound installation “Rio Oir” (2011), the video “15 seconds” (2021), in honor of Marielle Franco, among other works. By Scliar, the drawings “Warsaw Ghetto Uprising” (1957) and SOS (1989) stand out, as well as drawings and studies, some unpublished, that deal with themes such as Afro-Brazilian culture and the Holocaust. “I'm a great admirer of Scliar's drawings, I think he was one of the most talented designers in Brazil, truly sensitive”, says Cildo Meireles.

In the exhibition, there will also be the matrix of the cover of Revista Horizonte, made by Scliar in 1952, which reads: “Sign Apelo Paz”. “The Second World War had a big impact on him, Scliar was a soldier and served as an artillery corporal. In the post-war period, he actively participated in movements, such as the Peace Congress held in the former Czechoslovakia, the message conveyed in the work is fundamental”, says the curator. A tactile reproduction of this matrix will be part of the exhibition so that visitors can handle it. Also on display will be an unpublished text by the artist from the 1980s, narrated by singer and composer Marina Lima. In the document, Scliar expresses his indignation and fatigue in the face of our historical construction. The artist grew up seeing works by Scliar, collected by her father, according to Marina, “an affectionate image that I will never forget”. The recording was made especially for the exhibition.

With different trajectories, Carlos Scliar and Cildo Meireles met in 1966. “From our first meeting, where I showed my drawings, he became interested in showing these works to some collectors and from then on he practically financed me. He was always a very generous person, not only in my case, but also with other young artists who were starting out. He was a person with intrinsic enthusiasm, he was always encouraging, always supporting”, says Cildo Meireles. The two were close friends throughout their lives and, at different times, dealt with similar issues in their work, such as during the military dictatorship. Other issues also converge in the production of the two: the iconic work “Zero Dólar”, by Cildo Meireles, features the image of Uncle Sam, a character who appears flying over the Amazon with black wings, as if he were a vulture, in the work SOS, by Carlos Scliar.

Service
Exhibition | The Artivists: Carlos Scliar and Cildo Meireles
From June 29th to June 01st, 2025
Tuesday to Friday from 14:30 pm to 18 pm. Saturdays from 15:30pm to 19pm