Widely acclaimed as the pioneer of Concrete Art in the 1950s, painter Ivan Serpa’s expansive body of work also includes important contributions to expressionism and geometric abstraction. The carioca painter’s legacy extends far beyond the reach of his brushstrokes, however, and as a dedicated art teacher and a staunch supporter of those who questioned traditional art forms, Serpa exerted a formative influence on an entire generation of experimental artists.

While working as a teacher at MAM, Serpa created the Grupo Frente, a collective that reunited and encouraged some of Rio’s most talented artists at the time, including Lygia Clark, Franz Weissman and the notorious Oiticica brothers. A co-founder of the Center for Art Research in 1970, Serpa’s career was as much about fostering the art scene in Rio de Janeiro as developing the unique aesthetic of his own work.

For almost two months, the Caixa Cultural offers visitors an overview of the late Serpa’s masterpieces as seen through the eyes of Adriano Aquino, the renowned carioca artist-turned-politician who curated the exhibition. Through eighty of Serpa’s finest works, “Olhar de Artista: Adriano de Aquino lê Ivan Serpa” explores the multifaceted oeuvre of one of Rio de Janeiro’s most influential painters.