‘Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism’ is a major exhibition featuring over 130 works by ten important Brazilian artists from the twentieth century at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

In the early 20th century a new modern art was emerging in Brazil. Artists were adapting and defining contemporary trends, embracing international influences to create a new type of modern art; informed by the vibrant cultures, identities and landscapes of Brazil.

With a pioneer mindset, a group of artists created The Anthropophagic Movement in the 1920s, inspired by the writings of Brazilian poet Oswald de Andrade. The name reflected the group’s approach to art as a way to create a distinct national identity by ‘swallowing’ and reinterpreting the many influences: European, African, and Indigenous cultures as well as the exuberance of nature and everyday life in Brazil. The work of that group is featured as a central part of the exhibition which brings artists including Anita Malfatti, Tarsila do Amaral, now internationally celebrated as leading female figures of Brazilian Modernism. 

It also includes the acclaimed Cândido Portiunari and Alfredo Volpi amongst others. Most works belong to rarely seen private and public collections in Brazil, with many being shown in the UK for the first time.

The exhibition brings artists who led that cultural explosion including Anita Malfatti, Tarsila do Amaral, now internationally celebrated as leading female figures of Brazilian Modernism. It also includes the acclaimed Cândido Portiunari and Alfredo Volpi amongst others. Most works belong to rarely seen private and public collections in Brazil, with many being shown in the UK for the first time.

The Pentagram team’s graphic approach uses super graphics to emphasise this bold and pioneering period in Brazilian art. The logo is expressive, forming the shape of the Brazilian flag through its typographic arrangement. That summarises the group’s intention to create a national identity through work that was progressive and ahead of its time.

In addition to the exhibition graphics, Pentagram created an intro film that takes over the central lobby of Burlington House to express the mood and textures of Brazil. It is a tapestry of images and sounds with colour treatments that celebrate the vibrant and intense cultural mix of Brazil. 

The soundtrack extracted elements from nature, urban landscape, voices from street markets, TV news and musical notes from local composers of many styles.

Altogether the work is a celebration of Brazilian culture and the context that inspired the flourishing of such a progressive and exuberant art movement.