"Project Marvel" Exhibition by Carlos Vergara

The curatorship of Ulysses Carrilho exalts Rio de Janeiro and the exuberance of its natural landscape, using art to promote critical awareness and stimulate collective imagination. The artist invited for this first edition of the project is the gaucho Carlos Vergara, which celebrates its 2024-year career in 60.

“We want to provide an experience of contemporary art, in addition to expanding the contemplation of the landscape and the entire richness of the ecosystem”, says Szwarcwald. Interactive digital tools complement the proposal, enriching the sensory and educational experience of the public.

In the inaugural exhibition, Carlos Vergara presents three large-scale sculptures, installed in the socio-environmental preservation zone at a height of 360 meters. Marked by an in-depth investigation of Brazilian cultures and landscapes, Vergara's work directly engages with the initiative. “The Maravilha Project adopts a holistic view of culture and nature, integrating these two fields. Throughout Vergara's work, we perceive an artist who challenges the old separation between these spheres,” explains Carrilho.

Throughout his career, the artist's relationship with nature is revealed in the different languages ​​he explores, such as painting, photography, engraving and sculpture. In his sculptural practice, Vergara is recognized for his ability to transform spaces and engage the public in reflections on the intersection between art and nature. “Art enriches the gaze, making it deeper. Seeing goes beyond simply 'seeing'. In sculpture, I seek a gaze that looks both outward and inward,” summarizes the artist.

The artistic interaction proposed by Vergara – one of the main representatives of New Figuration in Brazil – invites the viewer to adjust their gaze, increasing their sensitivity to the subtleties of the environment and finding meaning in what they observe. The works presented in the Maravilha Project highlight the harmony between large-format sculptures and the surrounding biome, dialoguing with the animal, plant and mineral kingdoms.

Although the sculptures – Parentheses, The Stone Age e Musical Score – whether from different phases and research, the curatorial project has as its starting point the series Invented Nature, in which Vergara explores the geometric patterns revealed in the organic forms of nature. Beginning in painting, this series captures the visual rhythm of light filtered through leaves and branches, and marks the artist's sculptural production in a subjective way. “There is a memory of nature, but no intention of being descriptive or mimetic,” says Vergara. In addition to the evident connection with the environment, the three sculptures have in common the material with which they are produced.

Service
Exhibitions | Wonder Project
From October 31rd to November 30st
Daily, from 9am to 17pm