THE ARTS IN NEW YORK CITY Fall 2017 | Baruch College | Macaulay Honors

I have always considered the Whitney as one of my favorite museums. I really enjoy modern art. When I entered the exhibit, Helio Oiticica: To Organize Delirium, the title itself intrigued me. I was wondering what this oxymoron would hint about the exhibit itself. Upon entrance, my friend Ashley immediately said, “What is this? A bunch of papers together?” I realized how art may come across to some people as certain things. This brings me back to our discussion on the first day about what classifies as art. I am still having quite a hard time answering that. Anyways, Ashley and I first saw the piece that was suspended in the center of the exhibit. It consisted of warm colors. Delirium as defined by Merriam-Webster is “frenzied excitement”. The pieces that Oiticica created were supposed to relate to the viewer. The caption at the entrance emphasized that this kind of art was meant to relate to the human experience. If I were to see this piece without context then I would think that it was just geometric shapes dangling in all honesty. However, as I read the caption and took a minute to tune this piece into my life it became more than just geometric shapes. It reminded me of my family and friends somehow. We were all little blocks of a sort that were separated yet still connected. The warm colors also expressed happiness when we were a cohesive unit that created our own art. I would never have been able to see it in this perspective if I had not taken the time to read the background as well as think in silence.

The next piece that I wandered off to was a piece that had several random objects on a table. I saw a jar of dirt, a candle, a miniature bed, and a pot with a flower and dirt. I immediately thought of this relating to Brazil. These pieces were beautiful and contradicted the military and war ridden Brazil that Oiticica experienced. This connects to a story I read once about ISIS destroying a mosque. The mosque was such a beautiful structure (the organization) but the destruction was the delirium. The flower in Oiticica’s piece brought me a certain calmness. It seemed to say that even in the toughest times everything could become better. The sand/dirt also reminded me of vacations. Vacations are also beautiful and serene aspects of our lives. For some reason, all of these art pieces seemed to invoke a certain calm feeling in me. This feeling continued as I went to another part in the museum where there was sand. I was told to take off my shoes as I walked on the sand and I saw the simple beds set up. Although the beds reminded me of something from a refugee camp (which was most likely prominent in the time of war at Brazil), the sane brought me happiness. I could tell it also brought my friend Ashley happiness as she reminisced about her country, the Dominican Republic, as she said “I wish I was there right now.”

Delirium, as defined by Google, is “an acutely disturbed state of mind that occurs in fever, intoxication, and other disorders and is characterized by restlessness, illusions, and incoherence of thought and speech.” Hélio Oiticica’s exhibit To Organize Delirium is almost a paradox- an attempt to organize that which, by its very nature, is madness. The colorful, varied, and sometimes whimsical art on display did create an atmosphere very different from what we have grown accustomed to in our everyday lives. The replicas of South American villages in juxtaposition with the large, colorful, geometric shapes transported the viewer to the mind of someone who had quite possibly lost it. The most notable aspect of this exhibit, for me, was how interactive it was. Unlike the countless galleries and exhibits with walls plastered in paintings, this exhibit demanded so much more than the viewer’s passive gaze. Many parts of it invited you to come in and become part of the exhibit itself.

This particular room contained nothing but a wall with a projection, a rack of avant garde garnments, and a mirror that allowed visitors to watch themselves transform into a work of art perfectly harmonious with the rest of the exhibit. It was aspects such as these that I believe made Oiticica’s work so effective at reaching us- the inevitable entanglement of his life with ours.

Other parts of this collection were clearly meant to bring aspects of life in Brazil to the heart of New York City (or wherever said collection would reside at the time). Tropicália invited museum goers to walk in pebbles and dirt through what appeared to be an epitomized, pop art version of the Brazil Oiticica had come to know. This, in conjunction with the slogan “Purity is a Myth,” which the artist has been noted to live by and appeared in various parts of the exhibit, made it clear that the art was a profound comment on the Brazil that its dictatorial political institution attempted to appeal to. Other corners of the exhibit, such as the one pictured above, reduced the image of Brazil to a vague and empty shadow.

Similarly, a dark room full of staticky televisions such as this one called to mind the authoritative, yet mostly unimpressive role, that the media plays in politics and culture, which can be seen both in the environment and time period this art was from (Brazil in the late 20th century) and our lives today. In fact, the entire collection seemed to be an attempt to get viewers away from their televisions and into this environment that was so much more intellectually and creatively stimulating. While there was plenty of media in the exhibit, it was all meant to contribute to the overall message and transport the viewers to the environment imagined by the artist.

A few rooms with projectors were lined with mattresses and hammocks, demanding the viewers’ full immersion in the media. These atmospheric spaces were complete with speakers that surrounded the room, allowing dreamy music to accompany the almost psychedelic imagery, effectively putting the viewer in a state of artificial delirium. Overall, this exhibit transported me to a place I never would have created in my mind otherwise, truly epitomizing the role of art.

Veronica Funk

When thinking about going to any museum, you don’t expect to be able to touch anything. You expect to have to walk around and keep your distance behind the black tape that is applied to the floor to keep you away from the art. In the Whitney Museum’s exhibit of Helio Oiticica, you were allowed and encouraged to be a part of the art. The exhibit itself was created to be interactive and create an experience for the visitors.

This particular exhibit was extremely interactive, which shows Helio’s intentions of showing us his experiences in his hometown in Brazil. There was one piece of art where you could walk through sand and rocks. On the paths, there were these small huts that you could sit in and there was a parrot in a cage. This whole set up gave off a tropical vibe that Im sure was supposed to resemble the small villages in Brazil.

On the other side of the exhibit, there was a more relaxed vibe. There were hammocks and beds in dark rooms that you was invited to sit in. There was also another hut towards the end of the exhibit that allowed you to walk on rocks and water. This was a very personal feeling exhibit that allowed you to interact and participate in the art instead of just having to look at it.

This Helio exhibit was a very unique one that I enjoyed very much. To be completely honest, I am not a big museum person and was not expecting to enjoy this exhibit at all. I was pleasantly surprised though when I was allowed and invited to participate in playing with the art. It was very

Over the course of my dreaded 5-hour break on Wednesday, I decided to hop on the L train to take a lovely trip to the Whitney Museum of American Art to visit the one and only “Hélio Oiticica: To Organize Delirium.” Having the privilege of being a CUNY student, I got in for free with absolutely no issue and took a pleasant ride to the 5th floor where almost everyone seemed to be headed. And there it was, in all its glory, the Hélio Oiticica exhibit. As soon as I started to analyze the exhibit only one thing came to my mind, Geometry. Just when you thought shapes would remain in your 2:55 math class, guess again. Hanging from ceilings and standing from the ground sky high in all its glory, were these beautiful abstract structures. But, that’s all they were, shapes. I came across paintings of more and more shapes, everything so symmetrical and structure, but it didn’t intrigue me. I wasn’t quite understanding what Hélio was trying to portray, so I continued my journey. Followed by the hanging structure was a room where you had to take off your shoes and enter a sandy valley named “Eden,” filled with triangular tents and cubical boxes with foam and books This, the “interactive” aspect was great and all but still, it didn’t hit me. The description said it would “lead each person to find his or her inner freedom,” but all it did was ruin my socks. What was it? What wasn’t connecting that didn’t let me see what the work was really about?

And then, all of a sudden, I found it. What was possibly the most intriguing part of the exhibit. A dark room with a projector pointing at a white wall showing a repeated video of people wearing this rigid fashion. It wasn’t till seconds later where the beautiful pieces caught my attention through my peripheral vision. “Parangolé,” they called the clothing and you were free to try any, if not, all of it. I quickly took off my sweater and put on every single piece of clothing. Leather, mesh, plastic, cotton, nylon, the list can just go on and on with all the materials used to make these parangolés, which were typically paintings at one point. I would put one on and just feel the music being played in the background. If it wasn’t for the fact half a dozen other people were staring at me, I might have just danced my soul out. I felt the art, I felt the music, I felt the fashion, I felt IT. I understood what the whole exhibit was finally about to my best belief. Hélio’s art is portrayed in this exhibit to make you feel the art and truly be apart of it. Interact with the Eden, go through the shapes, flow with the geometry and imagery of his idea and really feel it, hear it and be apart of it.

The lesson this exhibit taught me was, art has to be experienced. There’s no real way to put on something like the Parangolés or explore the Eden, such as there is no real way to interpret this art. You just have to be apart of it. This all shined in my face even brighter on the walk back when I interpreted the art for the second time, but now with an actual understanding of the art. Amazing trip and an amazing experience nonetheless, I cannot thank the ANYC class enough for setting this adventure up!

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 pieces 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.

As the elevator doors opened, I was greeted by the big white wall with black inscription of Hélio Oiticica’s exhibit: To Organize Delirium. From there, I became another “participator” of Oiticica’s sense enhancing experience.

The first part of the exhibit I observed was his Geometry to Space collection. What first caught my sight was this piece shown above. While walking around the geometric sculpture, you can see how its very own shape can change depending on what perspective you look at it. In a way, this piece speaks for his own narrative in trying to let the “participator” experience his collection through different perspectives. This piece specifically could also show the artist’s development in his work regarding sexuality. By allowing the viewer to see this piece in numerous of perspectives, this could represent how people view sexuality and its many sides and categories. The vibrant colors in this specific collection could also represent the many colors in sexuality and how it is not just black and white. The very color and shape of each piece enhances the viewers sense of sight. They can view one piece in several ways and also be delighted by the color aesthetic.

The next part of the exhibit was his most famous piece Tropicália. This piece was supposed to represent the “clichés” of Brazil’s tropics, but instead of looking for the clichés, I found myself experiencing all my senses heighten. This specific piece was extremely interactive. The participator was allowed to walk barefoot across the gravel and sand and sit inside these boxes full of hay and a collection of books. My feet sunk into the individual stones as we walked along the path. The sense of touch was overwhelming and was the only thing I could concentrate on as I continued along the path of the piece. I then walked inside this structure with grated walls. This heightened my sense of sight as I had to view my surrounding through a more holed perspective. This piece aimed for the participator to really stay aware of their senses and become extremely connected with themselves and the piece itself.

This exhibit really made me realize how aware I should be in the connection we share with the artist’s pieces. A lot of the time we all aimlessly move from one piece to another admiring its aesthetic appeal and wonder behind its representation, yet we forget to focus on our own sense of being and its natural reaction to the piece. In the case of Oiticica’s work, the viewer was able to connect to themselves and then connect to the art. His work really brought the viewer back to themselves. In a way, he brought us back to our present self.

His very own title for his exhibition relates to this. To Organize Delirium could represent how to bring the viewer back to the present and forget all the external problems surrounding them. The exhibit targets the viewers senses specifically to bring the viewer back to themselves and only feel their almost primal instincts and reactions. Especially now in a very chaotic political world, these pieces of art brings us back to what we are inherently made of.

Claire Ng

While exploring the Helio Oticica exhibit, I started from the far right and moved on from there. The first exhibit I visited was the most popular;  Tropicalia. The most memorable part was the little hut that was shaped in like a small maze. In order to walk in, you had to walk through a bunch of hanging strings into a pitch black interior. As you enter yo could hear noise and it felt like at any moment someone was going to jump out at you. It was a very eery experience and it didn’t get better when I reached the end of the tiny maze. A static TV screen surprised me as I turned the final corner, and I honestly jump. I’m not a fan of dark and tight places and this little hut definitely freaked me out. I really enjoyed seeing the live parrots but I kinda wished that they spoke or made more movement than they did.

As I exited that piece I was met by a pool table and people playing it. I never learned how to play pool but the couple that was taking advantage of that piece were having a really good time. They were ready to spend the whole day at that exhibit just playing against each other. I didn’t realize the impact of the piece until I read articles about the exhibit and began writing this blog post. I think that excitement and participation is what Oiticica wanted to see.

The next part of the exhibit that I experienced was the colorful geometric paintings and sculptures. Some of the hanging sculptures had mirrors below them and it was cool to see the pieces from all different angles that you wouldn’t be able to experience otherwise. Looking at the paintings, I wasn’t very impressed but I did understand his experimentation and use of  colors after reading his biography. I think everything from his sexual orientation to his drug use and life in Brazil contributes to his use of bright colors.

Personally, my favorite part of the exhibit was seeing his writing and scribbles on the paper that was displayed in the glass cases. I really like seeing original writings and scribbles made by artists because it gives you an insight to the moment they created those writings. What I like about notes is that they are personal and lack the intimidation of pleasing an audience. While taking notes, artists don’t attempt to convey a message or please anyone else. The writings really give you a deep look into what art can’t show. Unfortunately I couldn’t really read a lot of his writing, I found it interesting how his handwriting went from very organize and neat, to messy and scribbled.

Overall, I have very mixed feelings about the exhibition and I left unsatisfied. After reading his bio, I realized that I wanted more hectic and raw art, rather than the composed pieces that I saw. He seems to be a very weird character and I don’t think the art was weird enough. I’m guessing that it might be because a lot of his art was lost in a fire, but I’m not certain.

Disclaimer: I couldn’t take any photographs because my phone died as soon as I got to the museum but I wanted to include a visual aspect to the post so I included pictures from the Whitney Website. 

Very few times do artists allow the viewer to be a part of the art, rather, they leave it to the viewer to define it in their own way. Helio Oiticica allows us to be more than viewers, rather, he allows us, as people, to be a part of the art. The whole exhibit has qualities of interactive art. The majority of the time, I see art and forget about it which wasn’t the case here. The whole exhibit, due to its interactive nature, creates a memorable atmosphere. This was an experience.

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Part of the reason why most of the exhibits are interactive is to show Helio’s passion towards his art by relating it to his “home” experience in Brazil or trying to make us a part of his art. That way, we feel like we are part of his and our own creation. NC1 small nucleus one is the perfect example of this. He makes the art pop out at you because it suspended in the air through strings. He wanted to create an atmosphere where, as opposed to regular paintings, the spectator has to fully rotate around the piece in order to see its full beauty. Furthermore, the mirror creates a multi-dimensional view of the piece. Within this piece of art, there’s infinite art due to the mirror effect. Every person who looks through that mirror, not only creates art for himself but is a partner in the creation of art with Helio himself.

One of the areas which Helio focused on was his experiences in Brazil. He wants his viewers to physically feel what he went through and fell what is going through his mind. He conveys this message through the making of Box Bolide which was a symbol for his friend, who was killed by police through rapid gunfire. He made this box in order to commemorate his tragic death. In the box, it says “here he is and here shall he remain”. This inscription emotionally attaches me to the tragedies that occurred to him and once again connects me to his pain.

In Tropicalia, he expresses the cliché that everything in Brazil is sand, exotic birds, happy music and paradise even though that wasn’t the case. When I noticed that the exhibit next to this one was “Life and Politics” my perspective changed. The order at which the different exhibits were placed a large role in understanding the overall theme that the different rooms were trying to convey. By placing these two exhibits back to back it shows reality vs dream in Helio’s life. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a conflict but could emerge in a beautiful way. This could represent how Helio was living a tragic reality but his art brought his dreams to life. The exhibit also had many bright colors which made me feel that even though his art could represent something tragic such as in the “Life and Politics” exhibit, there is still a sense of happiness and brightness in the art which offers multiple layers of interpretation which is seen well in his 3D art style.

By: Alon Bezalel

The exhibit “Hélio Oiticica: To Organize Delirium,” at the Whitney Museum of American Art, is something different from all other exhibits. The artist, Hélio Oiticica, is known for his art style that is anything but classical. He does not draw paintings or take pictures. He wants the viewer to experience his message, not just see it or understand it. The curators have made a very strong statement about Hélio Oiticica’s work. In the title of the exhibit, they claim a need to “organize” his art. It is easy to feel confused by cubes and square structures hanging from the ceiling, but who decided it wasn’t organized? The idea of organizing someone’s thoughts and especially their work, sounds invading. It is better to look at it as the museum organized all his pieces to be in one place. They clearly wanted to provide a setting that Oiticica would enjoy viewers to see. Maybe, the curators thought there must be some organization in order to understand where Oiticica’s ideas come from. Regarding his intentions as an artist, the Whitney Museum created the perfect setting. Hélio Oiticica’s intentions were clearly connected to a certain experience, and the curators made that possible. They even brought two parrots over from New Jersey, to make the feeling entire. They completely agreed with his intention as an artist.

Hélio Oiticica’s evolution as an artist was not very prominent by any set up in the museum. There wasn’t some kind of order by which to observe the exhibit. Maybe the curators saw it was enough to organize his work in sections. There was a section with some of his writings in these glass tables. Viewers could sit and read them comfortably. There were rooms with beds and hammocks to relax on. The interactive parts in the dessert area were together. I did not observe a process of evolution in the artist’s work based on the set up of the museum.

The narrative of the exhibit is incredibly engaging. The picture below shows part of Eden, where crates of books and foam pieces where surrounded by a curtain. Just the decision to place the books there and cover them with a curtain that you could pull to the side and discover something, shows his interactive mindset. This piece really intrigued me because I couldn’t really understand the purpose. His interactive pieces were all connected to the five senses so I thought about how the senses could help develop different ideas through art.

There are positive and negative aspects of the narrative’s set up. Having an engaging and interactive exhibit, allows people to really experience what the artist is feeling or sending as a message. It was incredible to take your shows off and literally walk through the art installations, which goes hand in hand with “walking in someone’s shows.” The exhibit set up allowed us to feel exactly what Hélio Oiticica wanted us to feel. On the other hand, it could be kind of difficult to focus on the art or the artist as you’re doing something physical and interesting, that takes over all of your attention.

I certainly believe that this way to explore art makes it easier for the observer to understand the idea of the artist. Engaging all senses and creating a whole collection of someone’s ideas is captivating and impressive. The most compelling piece was Tropicalia, where you could take off your shoes and feel the exact things Hélio Oiticica wanted us to feel. It would be a waste explaining the experience because Oiticica choose to make us experience it, not describe it with pictures or words.

Hélio Oiticica has created art that seems alive. Visiting the exhibit is an experience, not just something you go to observe. Looking back at the time I spent at the museum, I realized my idea about my own museum in Blog #2 is very similar to what Oiticica has created. His art work is strongly connected to nature and to incorporating the five senses. The whole exhibit was mesmerizing and I plan on going again before it travels off.

Ellen Stoyanov

When choosing a book to read (non-fiction or fiction), a movie to watch (horror or comedy), an art exhibit to explore (Oiticica or Van Gogh) the first question that pops up in my head is “what is the significance of the title?” Therefore, I wondered before arriving to the Whitney, why is the exhibit called Hèlio Oiticica: To organize Delirium? I did not receive an answer until submerging myself through the whole museum. I will share with you through two of my favorite experiences, how Hèlio Oiticica’s art exposes attention to the strains between separate artworks and immersive environments, and private and public places.

An example of the attention Oiticica directs between the tension between separate artworks and immersive environment is exemplified in the “Parangolès” section. After looking through Oiticica’s early life and his fascination with geometric shapes, I entered a smaller room with a projector that displayed pictures of people smiling in colorful clothing, a coat rack full of clothing, and a security guard. The guard said to me, “they [the clothing] were incomplete unless you are moving in them.” I hesitated for a second and was surprised when I heard this. I was always taught that the first and most important rule is to never touch the artwork in a museum. After, a short hesitation I was pleased to hear the guard invite me to be involved in Oiticica’s art. I rushed over to the coat rack and delicately took a blue and red vest with the words “CAPA DA LIBERDADE” imprinted in white. Unsure of what the text meant I google translated it and understood that it meant “cloak of freedom”. It all made sense to me. Those words are the narrative the curator intended on experiencing when walking through Oiticica’s life. Intentionally, the security guard was a messenger for helping Oiticica’s dream come true and I was the fulfiller of that dream when I was physically and emotionally immersed in his art. I thought of how fitting it was freely wearing this at a museum and how powerful and exceptionally different of an artist Oiticica was. Thus, before leaving the Parangolès section, I asked the guard to capture the unique experience on my phone.

Additionally, Oiticica brilliantly exposes the tension between private and public places in his “Eden”. When continuing through my journey at the Whitney I arrived upon the “Eden”.

I transitioned from the Whitney Museum into an assorted love haven. The artificial beach was nothing but a natural environment where I felt stress-free and relaxed. The Eden supplied an atmosphere that was open-minded for introspection and provided books for one’s freedom. The Eden is symbolic of the importance of leisure in a creative process and the exhibit tries to demystify it for pedestrians.

Throughout the exhibit, I learned that Oiticica was harassed by U.S immigration authorities and was forced to move back to Brazil, many of his friends had been imprisoned, and that Oiticica died at the age of 42 from a stroke. He experienced adversary, hardships and harassment in his tough life, however, still emulated light, love and life in his artwork. Hèlio Oiticica took the chaos in his life and organized it to make inspiring, impactful and interactive beauty live on.

Coat Rack for of Clothing (“Paragonles”)

The Eden

Me wearing the Capa Da Liberdade vest

Pile of books in the Eden

Selfie at the entrance of the exhibit

Andrew Langer