multisensory wooden walk-in cave by henrique oliveira

multisensory wooden walk-in cave by henrique oliveira
henrique oliveira, parada dos quasólitos, 2013
installationsansicht schirn kunsthalle frankfurt, 2013
image © schirn kunsthalle frankfurt, 2013 foto: norbert miguletz

brazilian artist henrique oliveira‘s multisensory installation ‘parada dos quasólitos’ at schirn kunsthalle frankfurt is a convergence of space and sculpture. it is a walk-in structure: physical, tactile, and immersive, a disorienting place that temporarily transports the visitor to a realm independent of the gallery walls. the massive cave is built from tapume wood sticks — typical construction materials recycled from the brazilian urban landscape. oliveira’s interest in the surfaces of the city and materials common to geographic locations influenced the artwork’s construction and visualization. juxtaposing the medium and its new function, oliveira reworks the refuse into curvilinear shapes that evoke sensuality and movement.

henrique oliveira, parada dos quasólitos, 2013
installationsansicht schirn kunsthalle frankfurt, 2013
image © schirn kunsthalle frankfurt, 2013 foto: norbert miguletz
 

fit into the architecture at the schirn kunsthalle, ‘parada dos quasólitos’ beckons entrants with its small, mysterious doorway. upon entering, visitors lose the connection to the main exhibition space, as they are immediately absorbed in a mesh of flexible material that wraps around the walls, ceiling, and floor. walking through the amoebic structure causes a multisensory allusion: the wooden panels bend slightly, causing a creaking sound to echo throughout the room; an intense smell permeates the enclosed space; and a vivid chiaroscuro separates the interior divisions.

henrique oliveira, parada dos quasólitos, 2013
installationsansicht schirn kunsthalle frankfurt, 2013
image © schirn kunsthalle frankfurt, 2013 foto: norbert miguletz
 

henrique oliveira, parada dos quasólitos, 2013
installationsansicht schirn kunsthalle frankfurt, 2013
image © schirn kunsthalle frankfurt, 2013 foto: norbert miguletz
 

henrique oliveira, parada dos quasólitos, 2013
installationsansicht schirn kunsthalle frankfurt, 2013
image © schirn kunsthalle frankfurt, 2013 foto: norbert miguletz

henrique oliveira, the origin of the third world, 2010
installations view at the 29ª bienal de são paulo
material: plywood, pvc, metal dimensions: 490 x 4500 x 500 m
image © courtesy the artist

henrique oliveira, parada dos quasólitos, 2013
installationsansicht schirn kunsthalle frankfurt, 2013
image © schirn kunsthalle frankfurt, 2013 foto: norbert miguletz