Blanton and Brazil Center Co–host Artist–in–Residence Program
Matheus Rocha–Pitta
DRIVE THRU (photo still), 2007
Photo credit: Chris Hubbert
In Fall 2007, the Latin American Department at the Blanton Museum of Art and the Brazil Center of the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies at The University of Texas at Austin co–hosted the new Ibêre Camargo Foundation Artist–in–
Residence Program.
The foundation is based in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and sponsors emerging artists living in Brazil for a period of two months at internationally renowned institutions. A jury chosen by the foundation and made up of national and international specialists selected Matheus Rocha–Pitta for the new program at UT. He was in residence October 1 – November 30, 2007.
The Blanton Museum and Brazil Center offered a range of activities during Rocha–Pitta's residency, including a public lecture, student workshop, class visits, and gallery talks. The goal of this program is to strengthen the commitment to Latin American contemporary art and artists, as well as further develop strong links with important institutions such as the Ibêre Camargo Foundation.
Matheus Rocha–Pitta (b. 1980, Minas Gerais, Brazil) studied history at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais and philosophy at the Universidade Estadual do Rio do Janeiro. He was an artist's assistant for Miguel do Rio Branco and Rosângela Renno. Rocha–Pitta studies urban spaces and mega–metropolises because he believes that these settings characterize the discontinuity of contemporary life. Presentation of DRIVE THRU
The project he developed while in Austin, DRIVE THRU, follows Rocha–Pitta's interests by exploring the theme of displacement, and the circulation of commodities within a capitalist society. Using photography and video, the work was divided into three parts: the purchasing and transformation of a Volvo station wagon, the production of objects using Texas dirt that mimics drugs, and the creation of a video. The car served as the central stage in the video, with all action taking place around and inside the car. Led by Rocha–Pitta, the production team included the Latin American department staff and UT students Erik Culver, Kristina Felix, Santiago Ferrero, Alex Freeman, and Chris Hubbert. The car, dirt, and bricks used during the shooting of the video became a sculpture, which was on view at Creative Research Lab's parking lot through the end of March 2008. DRIVE THRU was recently awarded the first edition of the Illy Sustainart and ARCO prize in Spain, an award given to young artists to support the development of their careers.
For more information on the Artist in Residence Program, contact Ursula Davila–Villa at ursula.davila@mail.utexas.edu or Jennifer Potter–Andreu at brazil@uts.cc.utexas.edu. For more information on the Ibêre Camargo Foundation visit http://www.iberecamargo.org.br.