LightArtExhibitions

The mid-20th century corresponded to a fertile period for the so-called visual arts in Rio de Janeiro. A visit to the Rio das artes gallery will serve to revisit that context. But here, it is worth remembering that large companies of the period contributed to that process. To commemorate the inauguration of its new building on Rua do Ouvidor, Sul America Terrestres, Marítimos e Acidentes, a large insurance company, promoted in 1949 the largest modern art exhibition held in the country until then, occupying five floors of the [today] Palácio Gustavo Capanema. The MAM/Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro had been created the previous year and, until then, did not even have an expressive collection or its own headquarters. The Biblioteca Circulante, later Biblioteca dos Empregados da Light, on the occasion of its twentieth anniversary in 1953, began to sponsor the “Mostras de Arte dos Empregados da Light,” which included painting, sculpture, drawing, applied arts, photography, literature, ceramics, etc., which attested to “the growing enthusiasm of the employees for the artistic movement within the Companies themselves,” according to the report of the newspaper A Turbina (year 2, Nov. 1955, n. 17). ”Furthermore,” it continues, “through the Education and Selection Division of the Personnel Department, it has sought to stimulate the artistic inclinations of the employees, organizing a drawing and painting course whose attendance has been among the most encouraging.” And even among the directors of Light, there were great figures. Vincent Ibberson, who worked in the Chemical Division of the Société Anonyme du Gaz, “began painting watercolors there around 1951. He became so enthusiastic that he joined the Free Painting Course, maintained by Ivan Serpa, at the Museum of Modern Art. The result was his participation in the 1st Grupo Frente Exhibition” – an inescapable reference in the advancement of visual arts in Rio in those years and which had international repercussion. (A Turbina, year 4, Oct. 1957, n. 40).

Image description: This is a black and white photograph of an art exhibition. The image shows a large hall with light-colored walls and windows in the background. On the left, there are panels with artworks hanging on them. In the center, a table covered with a white cloth is decorated with flowers and artistic objects. On the right, more panels display other artworks. Plants are distributed along the panels, adding greenery to the scene. The floor is made of wood with a parquet pattern.

On the occasion of the inaugurations, there were many personalities from the academic and cultural worlds who graced the event. In the photograph, Pedro Calmon (on the left), one of the most influential figures of his time, is guided by a Light official. The directors of the museums and art schools equally graced those events.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of three men in an indoor setting, possibly during an art exhibition. On the left side, a man in a light-colored suit is talking with two other men, one of whom is wearing sunglasses. Behind the men, there are plants and framed pictures hanging on the walls. In the lower part of the image, there is a wooden box with something inside it.

On the occasion of the aforementioned exhibition sponsored by Sul América in 1949, the writer José Lins do Rego had declared: “Something new is indeed happening in this wonderful city: art seems to be obtaining citizenship in the world of finance, of banks, of insurance companies, which for so long functioned at the margins of that which constitutes the soul of the country. This novelty matters, if followed by other experiences, particularly in such a hard hour for artists.” (O Globo, 09 May. 1949).

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of an art exhibition. On the left, several artworks hang on the walls, including landscapes and human figures. In the center, there is a large vase with green plants. On the right, four women are chatting animatedly. They are wearing formal clothing, with skirts and light-colored blouses. One of the women is pointing at one of the artworks.

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Imagem 1 de 3: II Mostra de Arte - Biblioteca – 17/11/1954 – Octacílio B. Monteiro

Photography was going through its modern period, even if late, in Brazil. More and more citizens allowed themselves to be fascinated by this powerful tool of recording and expression. There was great availability of equipment and photographic material on the market, a profusion of home laboratories and still the photo clubs – spaces of coexistence that fostered study and practice, where the exhibition of works through national and international circuits was paramount.

Image description: The image shows a collection of black-and-white photographs arranged in two rows. In the first row, from left to right, there is a woman covered with a traditional headscarf, followed by a smiling young woman with flowers in the background, a tunnel of arches with vegetation, a woman with a fan behind her head, and a woman in profile. In the second row, from left to right, there is a female figure in a working pose, an elderly man with a beard and glasses, and a smiling woman with a headscarf.

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Imagem 1 de 2: V Mostra de Arte – 06/11/1957 – Octacílio B. Monteiro

In this photograph we see the journalist, writer, and translator Eneida de Moraes (Belém 1904 – Rio de Janeiro 1971), at the time a columnist for the Diário de Notícias and also a collaborator of the Light group. She worked for the newspaper A Turbina, a monthly published by the Public Relations Department of the Rio de Janeiro Light and Power Company starting in 1954, which provided space for the activities of employees who produced art. Eneida, as she liked to be called, was also a translator and an active Marxist militant. Among her books, História do carnaval carioca (1958) stands out.

Image description: This is a black and white photograph of an art exhibition. On the wall to the left, there are several framed images, including portraits of people and cityscapes. On the right, more images are on display, featuring a smiling woman and a tall building. In the center, a woman is standing, looking at the photos. She is wearing sunglasses and a long-sleeved blouse.

Antônio Gallotti, a prominent and controversial figure in the country's political scene for many decades, was an influential leader of Light since 1956 (at the head of the company Carris, Luz e Força do Rio de Janeiro) and presided over the Grupo Light between 1965 and 1974, when the company was sold to the Brazilian government. The photograph records the moment when Gallotti (on the right) receives a printed portrait (pen nib) from the hands of the exhibitor J. A. Mendes, as a form of tribute from the artists who participated in the V Mostra de Arte to the Grupo Light.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a group of men gathered indoors. The image shows several people wearing suits and ties, some wearing dark glasses. In the center, a man holds a framed picture with a photo of another person. The windows in the background suggest that the location may be an office or conference room. Everyone appears to be focused on the photo being presented.

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Imagem 1 de 2: V Mostra de Arte - Inauguração – 07/10/1957 – Octacílio B. Monteiro

One of the famous storefronts of the Light headquarters building, on Marechal Floriano Avenue, announcing the VI Art Exhibition in 1958. In addition to more traditional artistic manifestations – drawing, painting, and sculpture – the poster enumerates others: photography, whose presence grew significantly throughout the 20th century; ceramics, decorative arts, and household crafts.

Image description: The image is a black-and-white photograph of an informational panel mounted in a window. On the left side, there is a poster with the name "BELCA" and a list of services offered, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, home crafts, ceramics, and decorative art. Below this poster, there is another one with the text "25TH ANNIVERSARY". In the center, a large poster announces the "VI ART EXHIBITION", sponsored by the Biblioteca dos Empregados da Light and associates. On the right, there is an object resembling a painter's palette, with paint along its edges. The background shows a minimalist decoration with geometric lines and a hanging fabric banner.