Artistic installations in cities: the contemporary art by Henrique Oliveira, Regina Silveira and Ernesto Neto, raising sensitive awareness in people in daily urban lives

Abstract

This article analyzes some artistic installations, designed for spaces within cities, expanding their field of exhibition, awakening the sensitive nature of people who live or walk in urban centers. The study highlights the frequent problems that affect cities, causing discomfort to the population, therefore, it observes the importance of contemporary art, which is installed in spaces and environments, as an efficient element to interpret aspects of daily life, through awareness and visual poetry. Therefore, three art installations were selected, produced by three Brazilian visual artists, such as Henrique Oliveira, Regina Silveira e Ernesto Neto, respectively in these cities: Porto Alegre/RS – 2009, São Paulo/SP – 2010 and Zurich/Germany – 2018. The choice and their respective artworks proposals, composed of distinct aesthetic characteristics and several materials, exemplifies the diversity of languages that contemporary art provides, precisely when the art installations are exhibited in cities, particularly in places where artists can create attractive artworks interacting with the public. Through critical comments regarding the chosen artistic works, the text introduces the magnitude of contemporary art as an object of multiple readings, capable of instigating and suggesting reflections. It concludes by highlighting the relevance of art as an element that reflects and interprets the world in constant transformation, re-educating and expanding the cultural repertoire, above all, showing how the artistic installations contribute to cities, raising sensitive awareness of the people in the face of problems that impact urban lives.