Alair Gomes Photography Exhibition Opens in Rio

By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The photography exhibition “Alair Gomes, muito prazer” (Alair Gomes, very pleased to you) opened in the Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil (National Library of Brazil) in Centro on August 11th. Continuing through October 31st, the exhibition features the work of Brazilian photographer Alair Gomes including sets never before shown to the public.

Born in Valença, Rio de Janeiro in 1921, Gomes first devoted himself in 1948 to physics, mathematics, and biology following earning his degree in Engineering. In was in 1965, after a six-month trip through Europe with a borrowed Leica, that Gomes turned his attention to photography.

Gomes would go on to made a name for himself in the contemporary art world with his images that focused on the male form and homoeroticism, as well as his images that captured sports, everyday urban life, and nature.

The Coleção Alair Gomes (Alair Gomes Collection) was donated to the Biblioteca Nacional by Gomes’ heirs in 1994, following his death in 1992. The collection includes approximately 16,000 photographs and 150,000 negatives. Also included are manuscripts, documents and printed material by and related to Gomes’ life and works.

Gomes’ work have been exhibited in gallery and museums including the Tate Modern in London and the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain in Paris and Gomes’ images are included in collections housed in the Museu de Arte Moderna in Rio de Janeiro; the Museu de Arte Moderna in São Paulo; and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The ongoing “Alair Gomes, muito prazer” exhibition is one of many events included in the cultural programming presented by the city during the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

See the Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil (National Library of Brazil) website for additional information.

What: “Alair Gomes, muito prazer” Photography Exhibition
When: August 11th through October 31st. Open on Tuesdays through Fridays 10AM to 5PM and on Saturdays 10:30AM to 2PM.
Where: Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil (National Library of Brazil), Av. Rio Branco, 219 – Centro
Entrance: FREE