Damián Ortega is the subject of an exhibition at MASP featuring sculptures, installations and works that explore matter, energy and social critique traduzido por: OPENROUTER
Submitted at May 18, 2026, 2:30 PM
Controller of the Universe (Controlador do universo), 2007 - Damián Ortega. "Damián Ortega: matéria e energia” acontece no Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand entre 15 de maio e 13 de setembro de 2026. (Divulgação/Divulgação)
The exhibition "Damián Ortega: Matter and Energy" arrives this month at MASP and presents the Brazilian public with a broad overview of the trajectory of one of the most important artists on the contemporary Latin American scene.
(@fortesdaloiagabriel/Divulgação)
Bringing together more than three decades of work, the show articulates sculptures, installations, videos, and photographs that invite visitors to see everyday life from new perspectives. Curated by Adriano Pedrosa, Rodrigo Moura, and Yudi Rafael, the exhibition marks the artist's first solo show at a museum in the city of São Paulo.
O artista mexicano Damián Ortega é um dos principais nomes da arte contemporânea latino-americana e tema da nova mostra em cartaz no MASP. (@fortesdaloiagabriel/Divulgação)
Born in Mexico City in 1967, Damián Ortega built a career marked by experimentation, critical humor, and the transformation of common objects into reflections on society, politics, and economics. He began his career as a political cartoonist, an experience that strongly influenced his later artistic production.
Alma Mater, 2008 - Damián Ortega. (Gerardo Landa Rojano/Acervo MASP/Divulgação)
Although he does not have an academic background in the arts, he was deeply impacted by the experimental courses taught by artist Gabriel Orozco in Mexico City between the late 1980s and early 1990s. This experience helped Ortega develop his own conceptual language, based on the deconstruction of objects and systems. By transforming tools, cars, and industrial materials into poetic structures, the artist proposes a reflection on the invisible mechanisms that sustain the contemporary world.
Cosmic Thing (Coisa cósmica), 2002 - Damián Ortega. (Helene Toresdotter/Malmö konsthall/Acervo MASP/Divulgação)
Among the best-known works of Ortega's career is Cosmic Thing (2002), an installation in which a 1989 Beetle is completely disassembled and suspended in the air by wires, creating the impression of an explosion frozen in time. The work has become a symbol of the artist's production precisely because it unites sculpture, engineering, and political commentary in a single composition. By separating each part of the automobile, Ortega invites the public to observe the vehicle in an unprecedented way, revealing its internal structure and historical connections.
Monster (Monstro), 2019 - Damián Ortega. (Gerardo Landa Rojano/Acervo MASP/Divulgação)
The installation is part of the "Matter and Energy" show, occupying the Lina Building - MASP. In addition to bringing together emblematic works of the Mexican artist's career, the exhibition also presents research linked to Brazilian architecture and Latin American social experiences. Considered one of the leading names of the generation that renewed Mexican art in the 1990s, Ortega built a body of work capable of engaging with universal themes without abandoning regional references.
(Divulgação/Divulgação)
When: from 05/15 to 09/13/2026
Where: 1st and 2nd basement of the Lina Building - MASP (Avenida Paulista, 1578 – Bela Vista, São Paulo)
Hours: Free Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (entry until 7 p.m.); Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (entry until 5 p.m.); Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (free entry from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.); Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (entry until 5 p.m.); closed on Mondays.
traduzido por: OPENROUTER
