Within the itinerant nature of this project, Bruno Novelli carefully selected the location for his most recent exhibition of paintings: the Cunha Lima house in Pacaembu, designed by architect Joaquim Guedes in 1958, which was kindly lent for this exhibition.
The characteristics of this brutalist architecture—introspective and subjective to the concept that form follows function—resonated with Bruno. From the inside out.
Bruno is an artist who delves into disparate interests, which are deliberately processed through painting and drawing.
Indigenous graphic design has had a connection with him since he was part of the Coletivo Upgrade do Macaco in Porto Alegre, engaging in street actions, and experimenting with indecipherable typography, still present under canvas or wall—now indifferent.
The collective unconscious of potent exuberance is another layer explored by Bruno, through experiences in Indigenous ayahuasca rituals. The subconscious unveils archetypes of images that are refined as consciousness returns, exposing the visionary, paradisiacal, and brutal aspects of his work.
Quantum physics, vibrational studies related to the origin of the universe, and the power of expressions of nature—uniquely tangible and tied to a sacred anarchy—are strata (other layers) within Bruno’s paintings. Iconic figures and surreal landscapes represent a hybrid path for his overall production.
Another example of disparate interests expresses itself through resources drawn from art history, from a worldview (or a belief system and values) resurrected from medieval art, immersed in occult symbolism, seeking flat and dark elements, sometimes contrasted by the humanist construction of Renaissance art, with layers of paint that emphasize light and monumental composition. At the same time, Bruno’s paintings carry deep Brazilian influences in their DNA, like those of Tarsila do Amaral, through the use of color, fauna, and flora in Brazilian landscapes.
This extensive body of knowledge—trans-knowledge—converges in Bruno’s work, which is conceptually represented by the resonances between philosophy, science, mysticism, and art. These elements are re-signified by him through pictorial structures related to the culture of digital media and, essentially, technology.
