The Little Big World of Flavio Papi began to take shape early in his childhood, when he first started producing models and miniature sculptures. At age six, he began drawing with Augusto Rodrigues at the "Escolinha de Artes do Brasil," followed by a period at the MAM under Ivan Serpa from age seven to twelve. His architectural background—as he is an architect in addition to being a visual artist and model maker—greatly benefited his small-scale projects. Today, Flavio Papi is considered the foremost Brazilian model maker, boasting an extensive and distinguished portfolio of work for advertising, film, and television (including TV Globo, the defunct Manchete, and Record). On February 9, "The Little Big World of Flavio Papi" will open at the Centro Cultural Correios RJ. Curated by Dinah Guimarães, the exhibition offers a retrospective of his more than 60-year career, bringing together drawings, paintings, sculptures, and models.
Among the most intriguing models are the "Theater" from the soap opera Mandala (TV Globo) and the "Bathroom" created for the Paralamas do Sucesso music video, directed by Andrucha Waddington and winner of an MTV Brazil Award in 1996. The exhibition also highlights the official Rio 2016 model and the recent "Forest" series—a timely reflection on the current devastation of the Amazon—created for an advertising campaign for World Environment Day. In addition to early miniature sculptures, the show features recent works exploring ecological themes, the destruction and rebirth of the planet, and issues related to human violence. Also on display are pieces from the feature film Outras Estórias by Pedro Bial and Lili Carabina by filmmaker Lui Farias, as well as models used in music videos for rock bands and musical performances for the program Fantástico featuring artists such as Djavan, Martinho da Vila, Zizi Possi, and Angela Maria, among others, along with work for the show Trapalhões.
