The exhibition design of the show “Marcel Gautherot: modern records of the invention of Pampulha” seeks to be a response to the architecture of Casa do Baile (Oscar Niemeyer, 1943) and was conceived from this pre-existence, or from that quintessencial modern architectural space.
The plan of Casa do Baile’s hall is circular, and its circle is defined by a sequence of masonry and glass arches. Like the exhibition we propose, which is also made of arches. In dialogue with the limits of the hall, they define new concave and convex environments, or curved spaces within a curved space. They are panels that dialogue with CB’s architecture and add movements to the exhibition, inducing the visitor to go through the four sides of the arches and creating different passages of space – either narrow or open and wide.
The convex sides face the building’s masonry arch where the exhibition credits are installed, the starting point of the visit. These convex sides are always smooth, while the concave sides are always “constructive”, revealing their structure and skeleton.
M. Gautherot (1910-1996) was a modernist photographer known for this pictures of Brasilia under construction that epitomize an era of dreams and promises. The exhibition about the Franco-Brazilian artist was curated by Marconi Drummond and Carlos M Teixeira. Graphic design: Marcelo Drummond, production: Instituto Periférico, support: Instituto Moreira Salles.
Photos: Eduardo Eckenfels, Leonardo Finotti