Hélio Oiticica

“Be an outlaw, be a hero” was Oiticica’s contribution to the Festival das Bandeiras, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1968. On this iconic work is depicted the dead body of Manuel Moreira (also known as Horse Face), who was considered a romantic fighter for the rights of the disempowered. His assassination was a sign of the deteriorating political conditions in Brazil, where military rule had begun in 1964. Moreira was also Oiticica’s friend and lover, and therefore his flag is an homage – both public and private – to an individual who represented a relentless and uncompromising search for freedom.

Hélio Oiticica (1937 – 1980, Brazil) is considered one of the most innovative artists of the 20th century. He was a pivotal member of the Neo-Concrete group and one of the founders of the Tropicalia movement. Recent retrospectives include the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pennsylvania and the Tate Modern in London.