Helio Oiticica: To Organize Delirium

At first, I was taken back by the name of the exhibit. I was unsure if it meant that the artist was in a state of delirium or if his works represented a state of delirium. Before I entered the museum, I did some research on Helio Oiticica. He was not only a revolutionary artist during his time in Brazil, but his works also lead to many social and economic movements in his country. Even at first glance, I knew that this wasn’t going to be a boring, old exhibit. Oiticica’s artistic goals were to engage the viewer in his own pieces, to get the viewer to experience their own emotions and feelings towards a work of art. I think that Oiticica wanted the people of Brazil, and later all around the world, to open up their own senses and allow their emotions to create their own opinions. 

The second the elevator doors opened to the exhibit, I was overwhelmed. I saw dozens of square sculptures hanging from the ceiling, huge boxes suspended by what seemed like nothing. The organization of all these different sized and colored boxes to form one sculpture seemed like intended organization of random boxes. I started to understand why the exhibit was titled “To Organize Delirium.” Each box complimented each other, while if they were suspended randomly, it would seem as if the artist was delirious, or in a confused state of mind.

I walked into the next room. I saw a beautiful, serene walkway, guarded by two museum guards. It looked so calming and I wanted more than anything to step into it. As the thought passed through my head, I saw people walking around on the sand and gravel inside the work of art. I knew that Oiticica’s works were interactive, but I had no idea we would be stepping inside his pieces. I felt the sand and gravel under my shoes, allowing me to forget that I was in a museum. I stopped at a wall, covered in beautifully written poemsI adored that the artist combined literature, sculptures, and even an interactive walk way for the viewer. I was encapsulated in his work. I allowed myself to enter into a different setting and focus on the feelings that flowed naturally. 

 

As for the narrative of the exhibit, the curators did a fantastic job at arranging his pieces in a flowing manner. It was easy for the viewer to walk through the entire exhibit and interact naturally with his piece. Each private room felt like a portal to a different world, to a completely different emotion or feeling.

The hammock room and the room filled with beds allowed the viewer to relax themselves and completely enjoy the works of art they were experiencing. The narration and placement of the art did justice to the artistic goals of Helio Oiticica. The interaction of the exhibit and allowing the viewer to feel their own emotions instead of being told exactly how to feel. There was a sense of freedom, and of confusion, but once I stopped and interacted with the work, my emotions became organized. The viewer had to accept their own emotions to experience their own organization of their own delirium.

1 comment

  1. Couldn’t agree more about each room feeling like a whole different world. I also found the room with the hammocks so relaxing! I like how you described a part of your experience as freeing and confusing. I think that encapsulates exactly what Helio Oiticia was aiming for, this simultaneous experience of disorganization that leaves you feeling almost at ease with the disorder.
    Good Work!