Ernesto Neto

Ernesto Neto, one of Brazil’s most international artists, presents an immersive installation that evokes the crossing of cultures between different continents. Nosso Barco Tambor Terra [our boat drum earth] is one of the largest sculptures the artist has ever made. Its shape is a product of months of work, in dialogue with MAAT’s architectural space and the museum’s surroundings, richly imbued with history and symbolism as the departure point for the caravels that set sail for what would come to be known as the Americas. Using images (sails) and materials (canvas and ropes) generally associated with transatlantic voyages, Ernesto Neto creates a set of unprecedented installations that occupy the venue’s different dimensions.

In recent years, alongside his activity as an artist, Neto has also devoted himself to percussion. Throughout the exhibition, the sculpture, which incorporates a series of instruments, will be periodically activated by a musical programme, devised by musicians and groups from various parts of the world, with particular emphasis on the rhythms of African and Asian diasporas. Consistent with the artist’s desire to create a truly collective and diverse work, various drums from a range of provenances that inhabit the installation can also be played by visitors.

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