Artist

Isaac Julien (b. 1960, London; lives and works in London)

Materials

Nine screen installation, super high definition (4k), color, 9.1 surround sound, 39’08” duration

View the trailer here.

Description

A video installation reflecting on Italian-Brazilian architect Lina Bo Bardi (1914–1992) and her approach to Brazilian culture. It was filmed on location in hree of her buildings, widely regarded as landmarks of Brazilian modernism: São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), SESC Pompéia and the Teatro Oficina. The work also encounters Bo Bardi’s buildings in Salvador: the Museum of Modern Art (Bahia), the Coaty Restaurant, and the Gregório de Matos theatre.

“Starring the acclaimed Brazilian actresses Fernanda Montenegro and her daughter Fernanda Torres (as seen above), A Marvellous Entanglement portrays Bo Bardi at different stages of her life, as Montenegro and Torres recite texts closely adapted from the architect’s writings. […] A Marvellous Entanglement establishes Bo Bardi’s iconic staircase, which she designed for the Museum of Modern Art, Bahia, as the stage upon which Julien orchestrates an original work by choreographer Zebrinha and performed by the Balé Folclórico de Bahia. The Coaty, a modern ruin perched on the Ladeira de Misericordia in Salvador, accommodates in turn a series of performances by Brazilian art collective Araka. In close collaboration with Julien,
the collective performs in situ happenings reflecting upon the significance of Bo Bardi’s seldom-accessed masterpiece for a young contemporary audience. […] Full of visual echoes and alliterations, the film focuses on key structural elements of Bo Bardi’s designs: staircases, windows and walls opening on to cityscapes, nature or the sea; details of construction; public spaces designed for social interaction. It also reveals the perilous condition of many of Bo Bardi’s masterworks, especially those in Salvador, and the pressing need for their conservation.” — Victoria Miro website