Institutions

A Gentil Carioca

A Gentil Carioca is a contemporary, independent art gallery in Rio de Janeiro that hosts social and educational projects.

Brazil & Aotearoa New Zealand

Find out more or follow:

A Gentil Carioca is a contemporary art gallery in Rio de Janeiro, founded in 2003 by three Brazilian artists: Ernesto Neto, Laura Lima and Márcio Botner. They set up the gallery so that artists could capture and share the diversity of Brazil's art with others. A Gentil Carioca now leads the art scene in Rio de Janeiro. It has become a prominent cultural centre and social hub that gives art lovers and collectors a place to interact with art, have artistic and critical debate and expand their networks.

The gallery's name refers to the familiar term for people born in Rio de Janeiro (carioca) and the gallery's gentle (gentil), kind approach towards artists and the community. A Gentil Carioca manifests its independence by hosting social and educational projects, and promoting the work of young and experimental artists. The gallery invites artists from around the world to exhibit at its shows, which creates and nurtures international relationships.

A Gentil Carioca runs an ongoing project called Parede Gentil (Gentil's wall). This project gives artists the opportunity to produce and display an artwork on the gallery's external wall for up to four months. Since it started, 38 artworks have been displayed on Parede Gentil.

A Gentil Carioca has established links with New Zealand artists and institutions. Dane Mitchell has had two solo shows at the gallery: Análise (2004) and A Abrigo ou Um Temor do Toque do Desconhecido (2006). He was also invited to present his artwork Abrigo on the wall outside the gallery, as part of the project Parede Gentil (2006). In 2016, Ernesto Neto, one of the gallery’s founders, took part in Space to Dream: Recent Art from South America, which was a major exhibition of contemporary South American art held at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.

OPAVIVARÁ! – the Rio-based art collective represented by A Gentil Carioca – exhibited at Dunedin Public Art Gallery in 2019 and has also participated in Parede Gentil. In 2014, the collective created CHUVAVERÃO, which was an installation including five showers that referred to public water sources that used to exist throughout Rio de Janeiro.

Located in the multicultural downtown area of Rio de Janeiro, the gallery – especially Parede Gentil – is in the perfect location to reach the public and spread the word about art to large numbers of people.