The Rio de Janeiro-based collective GrupoFrente was founded by Ivan Serpa in 1954.Born out of the live-painting course taughtby Serpa at the Museu de Arte Moderna,Grupo Frente was at the forefront of theartist collectives in the region up until thegroup dispersed in 1956. Many of its artists,including Hélio Oiticica, later pioneered keyvisual movements. On view are rarely seenworks on paper by Oiticica and Serpa producedduring this time.The group’s core mission was a strictdedication to experimentation with techniqueand material while maintaining an honestapproach based on research. Serpa’s worksdemonstrate the artist’s use of unconventionalmaterials, such as typewriter symbols, and hisinterest in serial forms and repetition.Oiticica pioneered new aesthetic experiencesthat broke down the boundaries betweenlife and art. His gouaches on cardboardfrom the Grupo Frente period demonstratean intuitive understanding of color andsensitivity to rhythm that he would latertranslate into physical space, a concept theartist would explore under the groundbreakingNeo-Concrete movement, which activelyinvolved the participation of the viewer.
