Adriana Varejão

Specially created for this exhibition, Celacanto provoca maremoto (“Coelacanth Provokes Submarine Earthquake”) evokes a tiled azulejo wall; a colossal, breaking wave, in the style of Hokusai, moves across the ground floor of the Fondation Cartier. Reminiscent of the organic character of Baroque architecture, the two “ruins” entitled Linda da Lapa and Linda do Rosário (2004) are shaped by the accidental silhouette of wall fragments, that, when sliced, reveal raw flesh.

The body—fragmented, maimed, tattooed—is often present in Adriana Varejão’s works. It is alluded to metaphorically in the Saunas series, where imposing oils on canvas explore questions intrinsic to painting. Blue, grey, white, yellow: the Saunas are mainly monochromatic, but nuanced by light and shadows that bring out volumes and create a labyrinthine, interiorized, and virtual space.