"Brasil! Brasil!", at the Zentrum Paul Klee, explores the search for a modern artistic expression in Brazil

The exhibition “Brasil! Brasil!”, on view at the Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, Switzerland, explores the search for a modern artistic expression in Brazil during the first half of the 20th century, a period when local artists, influenced by aspects of the European avant-garde, also drew inspiration from Indigenous and Afro-Brazilian cultures. 

The exhibition brings together works by ten artists who were fundamental to the construction of Brazilian cultural identity, including Tarsila do Amaral, Anita Malfatti, Alfredo Volpi, Candido Portinari, and Rubem Valentim. 

Valentin's totem-like sculptures, such as “Conjunto Altar Sacral Emblemático - E59” (1980), indicate the artist's interest in the ideas of sacred space and monumentality.  

Curated by Fabienne Eggelhöfer from the Zentrum Paul Klee and Roberta Saraiva Coutinho from São Paulo, “Brasil! Brasil!” is organized by the Zentrum Paul Klee in cooperation with the Royal Academy of Arts in London, where it will be on display from January 28 to April 21, 2025.