When I arrived at the steps of the Whitney, I was unsure of what to expect. I often find myself aware of what I will be encountering, be it the artist’s narrative or the style of the gallery. However, with “To Organize Delirium,” I was at a loss. What does it mean to make sense of the incoherent and how does the evolution depicted throughout a gallery illustrate that? Nevertheless, I aimed to walk in with an open mind and perhaps catch a glimpse of Hélio Oiticica’s greatness.
Emerging from the elevators I arrived in a room where numerous pieces reflecting the simplicity of geometry were displayed. The clean lines and sharp angles lent themselves to a certain beauty, an image of the finite and perfection. One of the most prominent pi
eces was suspended from the ceiling, creating an effect that is impossible to achieve with a two dimensional piece. This suspension taught me something very important about Oiticica’s style and image: art should be experienced by the spectator. This piece was meant to be admired from all angles and dimensions, something that became evident through many of the pieces in the gallery; most notably, in his “Tropicália.” In this architectural form, Oiticica created a piece that spectators are encouraged to not only walk through, but experience the feel and sounds of Brazil. To run one’s hand through still water and to revel in the sand between one’s toes is truly experiencing art in another dimension.
Aside from the physical interactions granted by Tropicália, its message resonated quite deeply with me. He created a sort of synthetic beauty, one that we, as members of a superficial society, hold in high esteem. It illustrates a life we yearn for, the beaches, sights and 
sounds we often chase. His message, however, was abundantly clear: that beauty is truly synthetic. This piece was created to show the contrast, and apparent conflict, between what we see and how a marginalized people live. The piece features lush landscaping, but it also features the huts of the impoverished, those banished from the cosmopolitan lifestyle. He uses the nature he saw around him, the setting he was living in day to day as inspiration to create pieces of relevance and expression. He created pieces that call out to the spectator and touch something within him.
Oiticica had a life filled with an incoherence that was expressed in a multitude of mediums and fashions. This exhibit attempts to organize those expressions into a way that honors and describes his personal delirium. The presentation of Oiticica’s artworks also allow for a unique experience: the visitor chooses his own experience and chooses what he wishes to experience. In most museums the order is decided upon, there is a certain organization to the madness, a certain experience to be had. While the curators at the Whitney have somewhat organized the delirium of pieces, they have left it open enough for the spectator’s own interpretation. Ultimately, I choose what to see, I choose what to feel, and I choose what to open my heart and be changed by.
Grace, I feel like along with you and many others, we all were lost in some kind of way. For me, it was trying to understand the message and what the art really meant. But we blasted through that and I love the way you interpret the museum and the works inside of it. You describe the creations as ‘synthetic beauty’ and I completely agree. They have this drive and aesthetic feel that I don’t think can be preserved from other works of art. I also loved the way you describe his use of nature. Overall, I think you honestly had one of the most informative and creative blogs. Absolutely loved it!
I feel that your interpretation of his message in this exhibit is very insightful. Beauty is synthetic and can exist anywhere at anytime. These impoverished small villages with the huts that he presents in his artwork are in fact beautiful . Beauty doesn’t only have to be created it can simply exist in these small areas around the world and I think you interpreted that perfectly in your response.
I feel that your interpretation of his message in this exhibit is very insightful. Beauty is synthetic and can exist anywhere at anytime. These impoverished small villages with the huts that he presents in his artwork are in fact beautiful . Beauty doesn’t only have to be created it can simply exist in these small areas around the world and I think you interpreted that perfectly in your response.
After reading the reviews and various articles on Oiticica’s pieces, I feel that I have not experienced the gallery in its entirety. I do wish that I had some prior knowledge of his life and what drove him to create the pieces that he did, using the mediums he used, and the fashion in which he created it. It was, no doubt, amazing to physically interact with the art, but the effect was slightly lost on me because I did not know what he was trying to narrate. I also was unsure of what I was looking for. Perhaps if I had a coherent timeline or a slight inkling of what it meant to “organize delirium,” I would have appreciated it so much more. I often like to look into an exhibit or museum before I visit. It may have been worth while to do this before visiting the Whitney, but I did get to experience a certain wonder of seeing and walking through the pieces for the first time.