Ernesto Neto: From Sebastian to Olivia

Through his formal vocabulary, Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto (b. 1964) engages with the idea of social interaction. Neto has gained acclaim for his large experimental sculptures and installations that dramatically alter our surroundings, activating the senses and inviting viewer participation. The unconventional choice of materials, the simultaneity of internal and external structures, the contrast between the organic and the mechanical, and the qualities of sensuality and tactility, are all deeply inherent to the artist's practice. Neto’s installations draw on the lessons of minimalist sculpture, New Brazilian Objectivity of the 1960s and 70s, and anthropomorphic architecture, transporting the viewer from the hustle and bustle of everyday existence into immersive, multi-sensory environments where time seems to slow down. Constantly producing new formal and conceptual developments in his work, Neto describes his sculptures as living organisms that transgress all limitations.

‘This art appeals to all the senses, it is a holistic experience. Ernesto Neto’s sculptures (often they are sculptural landscapes rather than individually distinguished artifacts) seductively lead the eyes along their surface. Odors emanate: turmeric, cumin and other exotic spices stimulate the nose. Many of the works can, are even supposed to be touched [...]. Reception of the art is an active process. And Neto goes even further: he lets people penetrate into his works. “Naves” are what he calls the sculptural creations he has made since 1997, composed from membranes of stretched fabric that can be walked through, that can be physically conquered, that are supposed to be used.’

S. Preuss, ‘The universe behind the skin’, in Ernesto Neto: From Sebastian to Olivia, exh. cat., Berlin: Galerie Max Hetzler and Holzwarth Publications, 2008