Part of a generation of artists who expanded the principles of Brazilian Constructive art, Meireles often plays with geometry in his work. He structured this grid using a mathematical principle of growth known as “cascading bifurcations.” But his simple forms (here, and in the center of the room) suggest other, more local references. This “mesh” originated from the artist’s collaboration with fishermen who created nets from cotton thread. Made during Brazil’s military dictatorship, this work might be understood in terms of the tensions between freedom and imprisonment. The title evokes the openings or spaces of freedom that may remain available even within apparently unyielding structures.
Gallery label from Chosen Memories, April 30–September 9, 2023
