Made by… Feito por brasileiros Temporary exhibition at the old Matarazzo Hospital, São Paulo

The launching of the exhibition book Made by… Feito por brasileiros will take place next May 26 within the frame of the opening of the Phillips Latin American Art Auction in NY. The exhibition Made by… Feito por brasileiros was on view at the old Matarazzo Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, through October, 2014. As its advertising campaign promised, it was an invasion with more than 100 artists in a 27,000-square meter space, and it reached surprising numbers of visits: 2,000 on weekdays, 6,000 on weekends. This resulted in long lines, agglomerations, and a constant flow of people coming and going with the photo cameras. This is to say, the exhibition at the Matarazzo had what any art show would like to have, resonance, a bit of scandal, and a massive audience, even considering that it competed with many other exhibitions in a month that included the opening of the São Paulo Biennial, always a trigger for all kinds of art events. The former hospital, located very close to Paulista Avenue and carrying a 100-year history, played several roles for this exhibition, not only as the space hosting the artwork but also as its determining point. It was the theme for several proposals, the point of articulation for several specific works, the show's first motivator, and, finally, the cause of the debates that accompanied the show. In sum, it is impossible to speak of this exhibition without speaking first of the site in which it took place. Established by Italian immigrants, the first building for the medical complex was completed in 1904, and the Francisco Matarazzo Health House opened in 1915. After that, it continued to expand, and by 1974 it had more than 10 wings, it was one of the most prestigious centers for medical education in Latin America, and served a large number of patients. Nevertheless, the 1990s saw its demise—as it saw the demise of many other things: the heavily indebted Matarazzo closed in 1993. But since in 1986 the hospital complex had been declared under protection, the buildings were not torn down, and the site acquired a dual personality: on paper, it was a landmark; in reality, it was a parking lot. Early this year, the hospital was acquired by Aleixandre Allard's French investment group, which intends to convert it into a luxury hotel. But before kicking off the conversion work, the new owners decided to reopen the site for four weeks with a contemporary art show: Made by… Feito por brasileiros, curated by Marc Pottier. The show provided an excellent opportunity to visit the buildings. That cannot be doubted. Without this exhibition, one would only have been able to enter the site after its modification, which imply several demolitions (although the façades will be renovated and maintained), since the purchase entailed a change in the landmark-protection law. The latter fact caused a debate among artists regarding whether to take part in the exhibition (which, by the way, did not involve any economic benefit for them; according to Allard, artists were invited to work "from the heart," a somewhat cynical approach by a man who just paid 117 million reals for the building). In what follows, I will review some of the works on exhibit, specifically those that were able to establish an interaction with the site itself, which in the end became the event's protagonist. Purgatório, by Artur Lescher, was created in the old laundry area, one of the complex's last buildings to be completed, and one that is slated for demolition. Lescher was, in consequence, entirely free to alter the space, and he literally made it rain inside the building. A system of hoses set up like a fountain dripped water from the ceiling, flooding the floor. The first appeal of this work was auditory, the pitter-patter of w...