Ernesto Neto, dual-venue Vonta de vi dada dada opens in SĂŁo Paulo
Published on 09/01/2026 at 12:13 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂŒller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Ernesto Neto anchors late-summer art attention in SĂŁo Paulo with a new solo exhibition. As Fortes D'Aloia & Gabriel confirms, Vonta de vi dada dada opened on August 22, 2026 simultaneously at the gallery's Jardins and Barra Funda spaces, running into mid-October. Fortes D'Aloia & Gabriel exhibition page
Vonta de vi dada dada in SĂŁo Paulo
The exhibition Vonta de vi dada dada brings together a new body of sculptural installations, works on paper, and textual interventions, staged as a dual-venue solo show in SĂŁo Paulo. The Jardins space hosts the exhibition from August 22 to October 17, 2026, while Barra Funda extends the run until October 24, 2026.
Fortes D'Aloia & Gabriel describes sculptures made from crocheted cotton, braided cords, bamboo, corten steel, and clay, which take on organic configurations that evoke insects, roots, mountains, and forests. The gallery positions the show as a continuation of Neto's long-standing investigation into bodies, materials, and living systems, turning white-cube galleries into permeable ecosystems rather than neutral containers.
How the exhibition fits the wider program
Artforum's Artguide lists Vonta de vi dada dada as the current exhibition at Fortes D'Aloia & Gabriel Jardins, noting the August 22, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM reception that marked the opening. A parallel listing for the Barra Funda space records the same exhibition dates with a 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM reception, underlining the gallery's decision to split the show between two urban locations.
HENI News summarizes the project as Neto taking over both spaces with a new ensemble of works and situates the show within the period August 22 to October 24, 2026. For collectors and curators, this dual-venue staging signals the gallery's confidence in Neto's capacity to activate large volumes of space with complex installations and wall-based works.
All news and background on Ernesto Neto
For further coverage of Ernesto Neto's exhibitions, commissions and institutional projects, explore additional reports and analyses in the AD HOC NEWS archive.
The sculptural ecosystem Neto builds
At the core of Vonta de vi dada dada is a new series of wall-based sculptures that Neto calls InsePĂĄs, described as tensile, cellular structures extending across walls, ceilings, and architectural corners like living organisms or flows of energy. Developed from earlier investigations into suspension and balance, these works deepen his view of sculpture as something activated through encounter rather than fixed form.
In dialogue with the InsePĂĄs pieces stands a monumental corten steel sculpture whose branching structure evokes both a mountainous landscape and a living body sustained through relations of balance and mutual support. The exhibition text underscores Neto's interest in cosmological thought and ecological interdependence, insisting that life is sustained through relationships and reciprocity that traverse human and nonhuman worlds.
Institutional projects in 2025-2026
Neto's SĂŁo Paulo exhibition enters a period marked by sustained institutional visibility. At the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, the large-scale installation Children of the Earth forms part of the umbrella exhibition INTO THE TIME HORIZON, on view from November 15, 2025 to September 20, 2026. The museum contextualizes his work alongside environmental and Anthropocene-focused projects by Maya Lin and others.
In Houston, the Museum of Fine Arts commissioned SunForceOceanLife, a soaring crochet installation suspended some 12 feet above the floor in Cullinan Hall. MFAH, as reported by LatinAmericanArt.com and HENI, has programmed the installation from March 8 to September 7, 2026, giving Neto a prominent slot in the museum's seasonal architecture and positioning his work amid discussions of embodied experience and participatory sculpture.
How the artist works
Ernesto Neto, born in Rio de Janeiro in 1964, is known for immersive installations and sculptures that use crocheted and sewn textiles, spices, sand, wood, and metals to build participatory environments. His practice emphasizes touch, smell, and bodily movement, inviting viewers to inhabit networks of suspended forms, textile membranes, and walkable structures.
Where the artist stands now
Against this backdrop, Ernesto Neto's current season is defined by Vonta de vi dada dada at Fortes D'Aloia & Gabriel in SĂŁo Paulo and by his institutional projects SunForceOceanLife at MFAH Houston and Children of the Earth at the Nevada Museum of Art, all on view through September 2026.
Key facts on Ernesto Neto
- Artist: Ernesto Neto
- Medium / Genre: Sculpture and installation (immersive, textile-based)
- Born: 1964, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Place(s) of practice: Studio practice based in Brazil, with large-scale projects realized internationally in museums and public spaces.
- Active since: Late 1980s, with growing international recognition since the 1990s, including major institutional shows and biennial appearances.
- Key work groups: SunForceOceanLife, Children of the Earth, Nosso Barco Tambor Terra, InsePĂĄs
- Current/last exhibition: Vonta de vi dada dada, Fortes D'Aloia & Gabriel, SĂŁo Paulo, August 22, 2026 - October 17, 2026 (Jardins) / October 24, 2026 (Barra Funda).
- Major collections: Works by Ernesto Neto are held in public collections including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Nevada Museum of Art and other international institutions focusing on contemporary and environmental art.
- Awards: Neto has received critical recognition through major commissions and invitations to key biennials and museum projects; specific prize data in the last seasons centers on institutional commissions rather than named awards.
- Next date: SunForceOceanLife at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and Children of the Earth at the Nevada Museum of Art remain on view through September 7 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
Frequently asked questions about Ernesto Neto
Where can I see Ernesto Neto's work in 2026?
In 2026, Ernesto Neto's work is on view in the dual-venue exhibition Vonta de vi dada dada at Fortes D'Aloia & Gabriel in SĂŁo Paulo, at MFAH Houston with SunForceOceanLife, and at the Nevada Museum of Art with Children of the Earth.
What characterizes the exhibition Vonta de vi dada dada?
Vonta de vi dada dada features new sculptural installations, wall-based InsePĂĄs works, drawings, and textual interventions made from crocheted cotton, cords, bamboo, corten steel, and clay, transforming the gallery spaces into interconnected ecosystems of bodies and materials.
How does SunForceOceanLife at MFAH engage visitors?
SunForceOceanLife at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston suspends visitors roughly 12 feet above the floor in a hand-woven crochet labyrinth, asking them to navigate passages that foreground bodily balance, color, and movement within the museum's Cullinan Hall.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
