2024-10-27 16:19:00
Marcelo Macedo, an artist from Rio, presents his new exhibition entitled “Cross Roads” at Galeria Eritage, in Lisbon. Known for his style that combines geometric shapes and reuse of materials, especially wood and discarded objects, Macedo brings to light relevant questions about the intersection of cultures and environmental responsibility in contemporary art, as well as a new perspective on self-knowledge .
Luciana Quaresma, RFI correspondent in Portugal
“In my work there is this place of “getting lost”, like a crossroads. Getting lost and having paths to follow. It’s as if we were in a dense forest with no path. We must find a path through intuition and action. I’m exploring, it’s like diving into myself. I learned that you only find the path when you look back and discover that you have already traveled it all, discover the path you took to get there”, he says.
The exhibition “Cross Roads”, the artist’s first solo exhibition in Europe, brings together a collection of works that reflect urban identity and cultural diversity, striking features of Macedo’s artistic career. Using geometric shapes, he creates models that convey a sensation of order and reflection, at the same time that dialogue with the structure of cities and rituals.
According to him, geometry has a lot to do with vertigo which “deceives the eye”. “I had a sort of obsession with wanting to show that time spent observing work is not the same as time spent observing busy daily life. I like it again. The drawing I choose fulfills this function of making the gaze move around the work, of understanding the image”, explains the artist.
In addition to the aesthetic use of shapes, Macedo is distinguished by the practice of giving new life to waste materials, incorporating wood and other objects into his creations. This approach transforms what would be considered junk into pieces of artistic and functional value, inserting a profound narrative about consumption and resignification.
“I analyze a society of excessive consumption. I see myself producing a lot of garbage and that bothers me. That’s when I started to change my behavior, for example, when I was shopping at the supermarket. I buy a small bottle that I know I’ll reuse later. In other words, it’s no longer just a feeling of consumption because I will consume, but then it becomes something else. This is already a revolution for me and it has already become a revolution in my life,” he says.
Enhance emerging artists
João Cavalcanti, from Rio de Janeiro, owner of the Eritage gallery and curator of the exhibition, played a fundamental role in valorising emerging artists and promoting cultural dialogue. On “Crossroads,” Cavalcanti worked side by side with Macedo.
According to him, this experience in Lisbon was different from all the others. “What I am experiencing is something I had never experienced before, as it was not just a residency but preparation for an individual exhibition in Lisbon. João’s invitation arrived in July and since then we started to develop a strategy for using the gallery space. It was a great exchange with João,” explains the artist.
<img fetchpriority="low" src="https://s.rfi.fr/media/display/2a0ac928-8c89-11ef-80b6-005056bfb2b6/quadros%20geometricos.jpg" alt="Geometric frames” srcset=”https://s.rfi.fr/media/display/2a0ac928-8c89-11ef-80b6-005056bfb2b6/quadros%20geometricos.jpg 2480w” width=”2480″ height=”3307″ loading=”lazy” class=”m-figure__img lazy”/>
Geometric frames ©Luciana Quaresma
According to Macedo it was a collaborative effort. “João started collecting objects on the street. He already had this spirit, he always liked antique furniture and I think this also brought him closer to my work. It was all four hands. I really needed João to formulate what could be done,” says the artist.
For Rio gallerist João Cavalcanti, “Cross Roads” was a true meeting of paths “It is a great pleasure for me to participate in this process. Artist residencies are a very important pillar within the gallery. What struck me most about this project is the beauty of the crossed paths. We cannot have control over life. We must use and trust our instincts and believe that when paths cross there is something much more powerful that allows them to cross and materialize. What strikes me about “Cross Roads” is this symbolism represented through Marcelo’s work in the form of an exhibition,” explains Cavalcanti.
Marcelo Macedo’s artistic path is marked by continuous evolution and a commitment to innovation. Since his first exhibitions in Brazil, he has established himself as an important voice in the contemporary art scene. “Cross Roads” is not only a manifestation of Marcelo Macedo’s uniqueness, but also a platform for dialogue about art and the social issues surrounding it.
The exhibition promises not only to delight visitors, but also to encourage them to reflect on their own experiences and the complexity of human interactions. The exhibition is an opportunity to come into contact with contemporary art and the challenges of today’s world.
“There are paintings of mine that when we look deeper start to vibrate. We may think we see a tunnel, but if we continue looking, a few minutes later, we will see a pyramid. This place, which is in the middle of the street, is what interests me because it’s like a window into the imagination. This work is not tiring, it remains and provides a lot of information over time,” concludes Macedo.
“Cross Roads”, by Marcelo Macedo, is on display at the Eritage gallery (Rua das Janelas Verdes 128,B), in Lisbon, until January 31, 2025.
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