Thegalleryboom

Just as in the 1960s, the city of Rio de Janeiro underwent a transformation in the arts scene following the opening of several new galleries. Whether private or linked to public institutions, these galleries played an important role in consolidating the work of different artists, curators, and collectors. The opening of new commercial spaces such as shopping malls (Cassino Atlântico in Copacabana and Shopping da Gávea, for example) expanded the spaces and profiles of these establishments geared toward the art market.

To name just a few, of different origins and profiles, we have the gallery of the Instituto de Arquitetos do Brasil, the BANERJ gallery, the Acervo gallery, the opening of the Solar Grandjean de Montigny at PUC-Rio, the Centro Cultural Cândido Mendes, the MP2 gallery, galleries at universities (UFF and UERJ), the Centro Empresarial Rio gallery, or the IBEU Gallery.

Image description: This is a photograph of an art gallery. The image shows three artworks arranged in a space lit by ceiling lamps. On the left, there are two circular pieces with black borders and white centers, resembling eyes. In the center, there is a canvas with an abstract image in shades of green and black. On the right, there is an art installation with colorful geometric shapes, including red, yellow, and blue circles. On the right side of the image, there is a table with objects on it and a person walking in the background.

If in the 1970s names like Luis Buarque de Hollanda and Paulo Bittencourt followed the legacy of Jean Boghici and Franco Terranova and innovated with their galleries and acquisitions of new artists, in the 1980s and 1990s names like Paulo Klabin, Thomas Cohn, and Anna Maria Niemeyer also made their mark with distinct profiles. In Rio's case, it was without a doubt the German-born Thomas Cohn who played the most articulate role with the new generations that were emerging through the painting linked to the generation of the 80s. It was Cohn who first exhibited, in his gallery on Rua Barão da Torre, Ipanema, the work of the São Paulo-born Leonilson, in addition to supporting and discovering names that remain fundamental to this day such as Daniel Senise, Beatriz Milhazes, Luiz Zerbini, and Adriana Varejão.

Image description: The image is a black-and-white photograph of seven performers hanging in a circular setting. On the left side, we see two performers standing, holding ropes. In front of them, a third performer is in motion, legs extended and body leaning backward. Further to the right, three performers are suspended in the air, each in a different position, their bodies distorted by perspective. The background is simple, with a white wall and a curved ceiling.

Still during the 1980s, public galleries such as the FUNARTE spaces, the gallery of the Espaço Cultural Sérgio Porto (opened in 1983 with an exhibition by Cildo Meireles) or the opening of the Paço Imperial also contributed to making the visibility of art produced in Rio circulate in a more democratic way. In different rooms of the Edifício Gustavo Capanema, in the city's Centro, the FUNARTE galleries were pioneers in exhibiting works connected to the new languages of sculpture, video, and image, through the Projeto (e Sala) Macunaíma, as well as the Espaço Alternativo, the Sala Sérgio Milliet, or the exhibitions dedicated to photography.

Image description: The image is a photograph of a historic building located in an urban space. The spatial arrangement begins on the left, where we see a series of old columns, followed by a white façade with many large windows and balconies. As we move to the right, we notice that the building extends toward the background of the image, where other modern buildings are visible. The blue sky with a few clouds is above the building, and the ground is made up of stones arranged in geometric patterns.

From an institutional standpoint, the opening of the Paço Imperial and the Sérgio Porto expanded the range of venues in both small and large formats. In the following years, other spaces such as the Centro Cultural Lauro Alvim, Casa França-Brasil, and the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil followed this opening toward local art and art from other countries. Although they do not fulfill the commercial role that galleries do, these spaces (mainly the municipal ones) are essential both for established names and for new artists and experimentation.