Ernesto Neto- Nosso Barco Tambor Terra [our boat drum earth]
MAAT Museum, Lisbon, Portugal
May 2- October 7, 2024
Ernesto Neto, one of Brazil’s most international and well-known artists, presents an immersive installation that evokes the crossing of cultures between different continents.
Curated by Jacopo Crivelli Visconti, Nosso Barco Tambor Terra [our boat drum earth] is one of the largest sculptures Ernesto Neto has ever made. Its shape is a product of months of work, in dialogue with MAAT’s architectural space and the museum’s surroundings, richly imbued with history and symbolism as the departure point for the caravels that set sail for what would come to be known as the Americas. Using images (sails) and materials (canvas and ropes) generally associated with transatlantic voyages, Ernesto Neto creates a set of unprecedented installations that occupy the venue’s different dimensions.
To create the work, Neto used mostly chintz, a relatively cheap cotton fabric that is extremely common in Brazil, often printed with brightly coloured flowers and plants. The fabric was cut into strips and crocheted by various assistants, based on a technique developed over the years in the artist’s studio in Rio de Janeiro: atelienave. The material thus obtained was used to create the cells that together compose the sculpture. The work’s overall plan is developed freehand, through tests and adjustments supported by specific software that allows for precision but also sufficient malleability to adapt to the specificities of the space at the time of mounting in situ.
The installation will include percussion-based musical performances.
Installation photo by Joana Linda.
