Casa María Lionza Sol Calero

Created specifically to occupy the Museum’s Free Span, the installation invites the public to enter a space of welcome and gathering, where facades, benches, windows, doors, murals, mosaics, and furniture become a canvas for the work of the Venezuelan artist.
 

Curated by Adriano Pedrosa, artistic director at MASP, and Laura Cosendey, assistant curator at MASP, Sol Calero’s pavilion is also intended to be a dynamic space that forms an integral part of the cultural program for the Free Span. The first event to be held at the pavilion will take place on Sunday, July 5, when the artist will lead a free workshop on creating mosaics that will be incorporated into the building’s exterior façade.
 

Calero creates works that combine elements of vernacular architecture with a vibrant visual style, reflecting on themes such as identity, belonging, and the processes of exoticization of Latin American culture. The architecture of Lina Bo Bardi (1914–1992), who designed MASP, was one of the inspirations for the installation conceived by Sol Calero for the Vão Livre. Elements such as the circular floor plan of the Igreja do Espírito Santo do Cerrado in Uberlândia and the organically shaped window cutouts of Sesc Pompeia in São Paulo—both designed by Lina—appear in Casa María Lionza, creating a dialogue with the history of the building that houses the installation. Also serving as references are the photographs of facades by artist Anna Mariani (1935–2022), which explore the relationship between geometry, color, and the built environment in the urban landscape.
 

The artist conceives her pavilions as three-dimensional paintings, welcoming spaces inspired by the atmosphere of domestic environments traditionally managed by women. The titles of her installations often refer to iconic female figures celebrated in salsa songs. The installation for Vão Livre continues this tradition, as María Lionza is a deity in Venezuelan spirituality, embodying the syncretism of Catholic, Indigenous, and African beliefs. Associated with nature and creation, María Lionza has also inspired popular music: Willie Colón and Rubén Blades have dedicated songs to her.