The painting of Éder Oliveira articulates itself in two distinct storylines: the context of violence in the Latin American cultural realm and the dialectic of the subordinate. We encounter a visual narrative that conveys the prevailing principles of drama as well as of seduction with an equal degree of clarity. We are speaking of painting that bleeds, that warns of the symptoms of human unrest and depicts an X-ray of societal malaise. It is no coincidence that his first exhibition in the Galerie Voss has the term opposition as its title. Oliveira’s work represents a great breach of the rules, a gesture of opposition and an act of denunciation. Activism is not only programmatic, just like political art cannot be reduced to performance alone. Oliveira’s painting encompasses the grammar of resistance and, at the same time, aligns itself with a systemic longing for explanation. It speaks in the name of the other, without the alien pain becoming a lampoon or a guarantee of media success. In the time of selfies, the portrait has evolved to become the focus of his work. Oliveira appreciates the portrait genre as a “polyhedric” and “cubistic” material, as a space that is entitled to speak about the I and the other, an area of research that – out of amazement and curiosity – facilitates questioning the capriciousness of the canon and the regime that determines what is permitted and acceptable. His works reveal an emotive engagement with those contemporary visages of Amazonian and indigenous descent, which constitute the pantheon of lateral subjectivity. There are penetrating surfaces, which attest to a virtually arrogant versatility and an unusual sense of freedom. In short, they are a hymn to sovereignty. Beginning with his interventions on urban walls, through his suggestive site specifics, up to his easel paintings, all his works trigger something moving in us, the unacknowledged vertigo caused by the pervasive violence. His works warn of a political and assertive beauty, pure necessary vehemence. The perplexity of these amplified countenances and their reflective quality refer to a culture anchored in the ecstasy of banality, that belies the meaning of the true and opportune. These giant red planes can be interpreted as open veins of a cultural hemisphere. A hemisphere that has always been the other, the cradle of otherness, the place where laughing and crying can be the same side of the coin. Oliveira’s work could undoubtedly be a monument to the legitimacy of the alternative and marginal. Éder Oliveira was born in 1983 in Timboteua in the Amazonian state of Pará in Brazil. He earned an academic degree in Art Education – Fine Arts at the Federal University of Pará. Since 2004 he has been developing works that are concerned with the question of cultural identity. Oliveira creates site-specific works, interventions, and oil paintings on canvas. Numbering among the most important group exhibitions of the artist are the 31. Biennale of São Paulo (Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion, Ibirapeura, 2014), “Pororoca: A Amazônia no MAR” (Museum of Art of Rio de Janeiro, 2014), “Amazonas, Ciclos de Modernidad” (Cultural Centre Banco do Brasil, Río de Janeiro and Brasilia, 2012) and “El triunfo de lo Contemporáneo” (Museum of Contemporary Art Río Grande do Sul, 2012). Oliveira has received the following awards: “The Lingen Art Award” (2016), “Bolsa Funarte de Estímulo à Produção em Artes Visuais“ (2014), the Prize in the Visual Arts of the Integrated System of Museums (2008) and the 2nd Grand Award of the Salons Arte Pará (2007). His works can be found in the collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Rio Grande do Sul, the Casa das Onze Janelas, the Museum of the Federal University of Pará and the Museum of Art of Rio de Janeiro. (Translated from Spanish into German by Julie Anabelle Beinke. Translated from German into English by Alexandra Skwara.)
Amparo Sard | Fuzzy Objectives Nov 16, 2024 - Jan 25, 2025 |
Frank Bauer | Herringbone parquet and other problems Sepr 28, 2024 - Nov 09, 2024 |
Tenda Lomba | This Wonderful World Aug 24, 2024 - Sepr 21, 2024 |
SELECTION 2024 Jun 18, 2024 - Jul 06, 2024 |
Jurriaan Molenaar | BAUHAUS + GRAUHAUS Apr 20, 2024 - Jun 08, 2024 |
Michael Tolloy | ANDROS + GYNE Feb 17, 2024 - Apr 06, 2024 |
Idowu Oluwaseun | PEDESTAL Dec 09, 2023 - Feb 10, 2024 |
SELECTION 2023 Nov 10, 2023 - Dec 02, 2023 |
Harding Meyer | Audience Aug 26, 2023 - Nov 04, 2023 |
Summer Break Jul 11, 2023 - Aug 22, 2023 |
Flávia Junqueira | Symphony of Illusions Jun 10, 2023 - Jul 08, 2023 |
Fransix Tenda Lomba | Historical Shock Apr 22, 2023 - Jun 03, 2023 |
Till Freiwald | Echo Jan 28, 2023 - Mar 31, 2023 |
SELECTION | Part 2 Dec 16, 2022 - Jan 21, 2023 |
Daniel Heil | Wheel of Dharma Nov 05, 2022 - Dec 03, 2022 |
Claudia Rogge | WARP and WEFT Aug 27, 2022 - Oct 29, 2022 |
Éder Oliveira | Oposición Jun 24, 2022 - Jul 30, 2022 |
Fábio Baroli | Where the wind turns May 06, 2022 - Jun 18, 2022 |
Frank Bauer | Bilder vom Verschwinden Mar 12, 2022 - Apr 30, 2022 |
Selection Feb 08, 2022 - Mar 05, 2022 |
Harding Meyer | known unknowns Oct 29, 2021 - Dec 18, 2021 |
Kate Waters | It takes one to know one Aug 27, 2021 - Oct 23, 2021 |
Giacomo Costa | Atmospheres May 28, 2021 - Jul 03, 2021 |
Idowu Oluwaseun | REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE: a synthesis of time and sound Oct 30, 2020 - Dec 12, 2020 |
Peter Uka | Inner Frame Aug 28, 2020 - Oct 24, 2020 |
Harding Meyer | new works Jun 05, 2020 - Jul 15, 2020 |
Mary A. Kelly | Chair Mar 14, 2020 - May 30, 2020 |
Michael Tolloy | Solid Solidarity Jan 17, 2020 - Feb 29, 2020 |
Kate Waters | Love Shacks and other Hideouts Oct 18, 2019 - Jan 09, 2020 |
Frank Bauer | Paths of Inaccuracy Aug 30, 2019 - Oct 12, 2019 |
Christian Bazant-Hegemark | Kindness of Strangers Jun 07, 2019 - Jul 13, 2019 |
Sandra Ackermann | Escape into your Reality May 03, 2019 - Jun 01, 2019 |
Kay Kaul | Cloudbusting Mar 08, 2019 - Apr 27, 2019 |
Jurriaan Molenaar | Fermate Jan 18, 2019 - Mar 02, 2019 |
Harding Meyer / Humanize Oct 19, 2018 - Jan 12, 2019 |
Mihoko Ogaki / Soft Landing Aug 31, 2018 - Oct 13, 2018 |
Peter Uka / Fragment of the Present Passed Apr 13, 2018 - May 26, 2018 |
Daniel Heil / Monologues Mar 09, 2018 - Apr 07, 2018 |
Düsseldorf Photo Weekend 2018 Feb 16, 2018 - Feb 18, 2018 |
Sandra Senn / Zwischen Zwei Meeren Jan 26, 2018 - Mar 03, 2018 |
Frank Bauer / Die Gelassenheit der Dinge Nov 17, 2017 - Jan 20, 2018 |
Kate Waters / Whistling In The Dark Sepr 01, 2017 - Nov 11, 2017 |
Untitled Jul 12, 2017 - Aug 02, 2017 |
Davide La Rocca / 13K ( Part 1 ) May 12, 2017 - Jun 27, 2017 |
Sandra Ackermann / Lost in Nothingness Mar 24, 2017 - May 06, 2017 |
Claudia Rogge / CONCENTRATION Jan 27, 2017 - Mar 18, 2017 |
Christian Bazant - Hegemark / The Rise and Fall of Transformative Hopes and Expectations Nov 11, 2016 - Jan 21, 2017 |
Harding Meyer / The Others Aug 26, 2016 - Nov 05, 2016 |
Crossing Borders Jun 03, 2016 - Jul 15, 2016 |
Sandra Senn / Flüchtiges Getriebe Apr 08, 2016 - May 21, 2016 |
Corrado Zeni / Éloge de la fuite Nov 27, 2015 - Jan 09, 2016 |
Claudia Rogge / PerSe Oct 16, 2015 - Nov 21, 2015 |
Kate Waters // Tell it like it is Aug 28, 2015 - Oct 10, 2015 |
Visions Of Sensory Space ( by Weightless Artists Association - SPARTNIC ) May 15, 2015 - Jul 04, 2015 |
Sandra Ackermann / Wasteland Mar 13, 2015 - May 02, 2015 |
Lost Scapes Jan 30, 2015 - Mar 07, 2015 |
Christian Bazant-Hegemark / Calibrating Aesthetics Nov 14, 2014 - Jan 17, 2015 |
Frank Bauer / Back to Basics Aug 29, 2014 - Nov 08, 2014 |
Harding Meyer // recent paintings May 23, 2014 - Aug 23, 2014 |
Till Freiwald - memoria Apr 11, 2014 - May 17, 2014 |
Quadriennale Düsseldorf 2014 / Gallery Evening Apr 05, 2014 - Apr 05, 2014 |
Giacomo Costa // Traces Nov 22, 2013 - Jan 11, 2013 |
DC-Open Galleries: Matthias Danberg - Inventory by Appropriation Sepr 06, 2013 - Nov 16, 2013 |
Christian Bazant-Hegemark // VOW OF SILENCE May 24, 2013 - Aug 20, 2013 |
Corrado Zeni // Generation Why Apr 12, 2013 - May 18, 2013 |
behind the Non-Colours Mar 22, 2013 - Apr 06, 2013 |
Sandra Ackermann // Running to stand still Feb 15, 2013 - Mar 16, 2013 |
Düsseldorf Photo Weekend 2013 Feb 01, 2013 - Feb 09, 2013 |
Mihoko Ogaki // Star Tales - White Floating Nov 30, 2012 - Jan 31, 2013 |
Claudia Rogge / Lost in Paradise Oct 12, 2012 - Nov 24, 2012 |
Harding Meyer // features Sepr 07, 2012 - Oct 06, 2012 |
Summer 2012 - Part 2 Aug 10, 2012 - Sepr 01, 2012 |
Summer 2012 Jul 06, 2012 - Sepr 01, 2012 |
Maria Friberg // The Painting Series May 11, 2012 - Jun 23, 2012 |
Mary A. Kelly // Father & Child Mar 30, 2012 - May 06, 2012 |
Maia Naveriani // Future Wolves and Chicks so far Feb 10, 2012 - Mar 24, 2012 |
Düsseldorf Photo Weekend 2012 Feb 04, 2012 - Feb 08, 2012 |
Kate Waters // The Air that I breathe Dec 09, 2011 - Jan 28, 2012 |
Frank Bauer / ...den Wald vor lauter Bäumen.... Nov 04, 2011 - Dec 03, 2011 |
Claudia Rogge // Final Friday Sepr 09, 2011 - Oct 29, 2011 |
Davide La Rocca - STILLS May 27, 2011 - Jul 16, 2011 |
Giacomo Costa // Post Natural Apr 01, 2011 - May 21, 2011 |
Harding Meyer - to be a real vision Feb 18, 2011 - Mar 26, 2011 |
Shannon Rankin - Disperse / Displace Dec 03, 2010 - Feb 12, 2011 |
Sandra Ackermann // I look inside you Oct 15, 2010 - Nov 27, 2010 |
Amparo Sard / AT THE IMPASSE Sepr 03, 2010 - Oct 09, 2010 |
Kate Waters // The Land of Kubla Khan Jun 11, 2010 - Jul 17, 2010 |
Jurriaan Molenaar // Lessness Apr 30, 2010 - Jun 05, 2010 |
Claudia Rogge // The Paradise of the Onlooker Mar 05, 2010 - Apr 24, 2010 |
Ivonne Thein // incredible me Jan 22, 2010 - Feb 27, 2010 |
Frank Bauer // Jet Set Nov 27, 2009 - Jan 15, 2010 |
Michael Koch // forever more Oct 23, 2009 - Nov 21, 2009 |
Masaharu Sato // SIGNS Sepr 04, 2009 - Oct 17, 2009 |
Harding Meyer // blind date Jun 19, 2009 - Aug 22, 2009 |
Maria Friberg // way ahead Apr 24, 2009 - Jun 13, 2009 |
Claudia Rogge - The Opening Mar 06, 2009 - Apr 18, 2009 |
Claudia Rogge // Isolation ( aus: Segment 8 - die Blasen der Gesellschaft) Mar 06, 2009 - Apr 18, 2009 |
JoJo Tillmann // What you see is what you get Jan 30, 2009 - Feb 28, 2009 |
Sandra Ackermann // Die Wirklichkeit ist nicht die Wahrheit Nov 21, 2008 - Jan 24, 2009 |
Kate Waters - Getting used to the 21st Century Oct 10, 2008 - Nov 15, 2008 |
Mihoko Ogaki - Milky Ways Sepr 04, 2008 - Oct 04, 2008 |
Summer 2008 // Painting Aug 12, 2008 - Aug 30, 2008 |
Silke Rehberg: Stationen 1,4,6,7,11,12,13,14 Jun 13, 2008 - Jul 12, 2008 |
Maia Naveriani: At home with good ideas May 09, 2008 - Jun 07, 2008 |
Justin Richel: Rise and Fall Apr 04, 2008 - May 03, 2008 |
Davide La Rocca - Strange Object Feb 08, 2008 - Mar 28, 2008 |
Frank Bauer: AkikoAlinaAlinkaAndrew.... Nov 30, 2007 - Feb 02, 2008 |
Maria Friberg: Fallout Oct 12, 2007 - Nov 24, 2007 |
Harding Meyer / in sight Sepr 06, 2007 - Oct 11, 2007 |
SUMMER '07 Jul 17, 2007 - Sepr 01, 2007 |
Kay Kaul - Wasserfarben Jun 15, 2007 - Jul 14, 2007 |
Sandra Ackermann - Point Blank Mar 02, 2007 - Apr 28, 2007 |
Tamara K.E.: pioneers -none of us and somewhere else Jan 19, 2007 - Feb 24, 2007 |
Till Freiwald Nov 17, 2006 - Jan 13, 2007 |
Claudia Rogge: U N I F O R M Sepr 01, 2006 - Nov 11, 2006 |
Kate Waters: Killing Time May 05, 2006 - Jun 17, 2006 |
Katia Bourdarel: The Flesh of Fairy Tales Mar 31, 2006 - Apr 29, 2006 |
Mihoko Ogaki Feb 10, 2006 - Mar 18, 2006 |
Silke Rehberg: RICOMINCIARE DAL CORPO Jan 27, 2006 - Feb 26, 2006 |
Sandra Ackermann Dec 08, 2005 - Jan 15, 2006 |
Corrado Zeni Dec 04, 2005 - Jan 11, 2006 |
Frank Bauer Nov 18, 2005 - Jan 15, 2006 |
Harding Meyer Oct 07, 2005 - Nov 12, 2005 |
AUFTAKT Sepr 02, 2005 - Oct 01, 2005 |
Claudia Rogge: Rapport Jun 17, 2005 - Jul 20, 2005 |
May 13, 2005 - Jun 11, 2005 |
Kate Waters: Solo-Exhibition in the Gallery Thomas Cohn, Sao Paulo Apr 16, 2005 - May 20, 2005 |
Vittorio Gui: FROZEN MOMENTS Apr 08, 2005 - May 07, 2005 |
Kay Kaul - ARTSCAPES Apr 03, 2005 - May 29, 2005 |
SEO Geheimnisvoller Blick Mar 04, 2005 - Apr 02, 2005 |
Claudia van Koolwijk at Museum Bochum Feb 26, 2005 - Apr 17, 2005 |
Corrado Zeni - Six Degrees of Separation Nov 26, 2004 - Jan 15, 2005 |
Maia Naveriani: What' s the difference between ME and YOU? Oct 15, 2004 - Nov 20, 2004 |
Tamara K.E.: MAD DONNA AND DONNA CORLEONE Sepr 03, 2004 - Oct 09, 2004 |
Davide La Rocca: Real Vision Reflex Jun 12, 2004 - Jul 17, 2004 |
Kay Kaul COLLECTORSCAPES Apr 23, 2004 - Jun 05, 2004 |