Kenny Scharf, Saner, Joana Vasconcelos and Other Artists Transform Abandoned Estate in Sao Paulo

by Nastia VoynovskayaPosted on


Kenny Scharf

A large, abandoned Victorian hospital in the heart of Sao Paulo, Cidade Matarazzo became an artists’ playground for the project “Made by Brazilians.” Kenny Scharf, Arne Quinze, Joana Vasconcelos, Charley Case, Saner and others transformed the building with immersive installations in the weeks leading up to the Sao Paulo Biennial. Before plans to remodel the estate are put into effect, viewers are welcome to visit the space through October 11.

While Saner painted a long mural outside of the building that riffs on Brazilian folklore, Kenny Scharf set up a hallucinatory, black-light installation filled with ephemera such as obsolete computer keyboards, knickknacks and his painted characters that grin from ear to ear. Joana Vasconcelos, a Portuguese artist, hung her weighty fabric sculptures in Cidade Matarazzo’s atrium and Arne Quinze set up a roof-like wood installation that alters the building’s architecture. Take a look at some photos from the project below.

Photos courtesy of “Made by… Feito por Brasileiros.”


Kenny Scharf


Kenny Scharf


Aerial view of Cidade Matarazzo


Arne Quinze installation


Charley Case


Joana Vasconcelos


Joana Vasconcelos


Nazirah Mestaoui and Huni Kuin


View from the inside of Cidade Matarazzo


View from the court yard


Outdoor mural by Saner


Saner mural detail

Saner mural detail

Saner with his work

Saner with his work

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