The Instituto Tomie Ohtake, in São Paulo, has just opened the exhibition Coleção Vilma Eid: Em cada canto. The show transposes into the institution's public space the private collection of the gallerist Vilma Eid, made up of works by more than a hundred popular, modern and contemporary artists. In this way, for the first time the ensemble is widely accessible to visitors.
Curated by Ana Roman and Catalina Bergues, the initiative takes place within the Instituto Tomie Ohtake Visita programme, which sets up partnerships with collectors and players in the art circuit in order to broaden access to works from collections that are not normally open to the public. The exhibition includes works by artists such as Geraldo de Barros, Mira Schendel, Paulo Pasta, Tunga, Rubem Valentim, José Antonio da Silva, Isabel Mendes da Cunha, Itamar Julião and Veio.
The show tries to present to the public something of the way Vilma arranges the collection in her own home, in an intimate manner and also proposing unusual relationships between the works. Vilma is considered a key figure in the appreciation of popular art, and her collection, often described as heterogeneous, expresses precisely the belief that there are no hierarchies between bodies of work and artists
“Vilma has played a fundamental role in the recognition and legitimation of artists frequently marginalised in the art circuit. Brought before the public for the first time, her collection challenges the Eurocentric narratives of Brazilian art, exploring new horizons and addressing the preservation of historically under-represented Brazilian memories and narratives”, states the publicity text.
The collection was transported in its entirety by Art Quality, a logistics company specialising in artworks that is a partner of Clé Reserva Contemporânea.
A gallerist and collector for forty years, Vilma Eid is also the creator of the Instituto do Imaginário do Povo Brasileiro, which has already collaborated with Instituto Tomie Ohtake, in 2012, on the exhibition Teimosia da Imaginação.
Coleção Vilma Eid: Em cada canto is on show until 25 May. The exhibition leaflet, with a text by the curators and an interview with the collector, is available for free download.
Instituto Tomie Ohtake is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 7pm.
