Escola da Cidade hosts exhibition on Artacho Jurado

Read the original version in Portuguese here.

Published on August 29, 2021

The Galeria da Cidade is hosting the exhibition Artacho Jurado no Desenho da Cidade, which highlights the self-taught architect who designed and built landmarks of modern São Paulo, such as the Bretagne, Cinderela, and Louvre buildings, among others. The public opening is on Saturday, September 4, marking the 114th anniversary of his birth.

Rejecting the rigid tenets of mid-century modernism, Jurado developed a unique style characterized by refined details, vibrant colors, and generous spaces and programs, almost always opening the ground floors of his buildings to the city. His expressive design language led critic Décio Pignatari to compare him to the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.

Curated by Teca Eça, Artacho Jurado’s grand-niece, with the collaboration of students and faculty (coordinated by Carla Caffé and Paulo Von Poser) as well as guest artists, the exhibition grew out of a documentary currently in development. Directed by Pedro Gorski and Teca Eça, with art direction by Carla Caffé, the film project is directly linked to the exhibition, as footage of the archival materials will be shot using the displays and graphic pieces on view at the Galeria da Cidade.

Testimonies from the architect's daughter, Diva Artacho Jurado, contemporary art curator Jéssica Varrichio, and journalist Raul Juste Lores, alongside original archival materials provided by Diva—including photos, drawings, and floor plans—help explain "how" and "why" this self-taught architect became such a fixture in the city's collective imagination. The exhibition unfolds across three parallel, interconnected narratives: "intimate universe: the life and passions of Artacho," "scenographic architecture," and "Artacho's relationship with São Paulo: how he was inspired by and continues to inspire the city."

Jurado's original drawings, investigative studies, and creative processes reveal his focus on texture, surface treatment, color palettes, and spatial compositions. These drawings resemble set design studies more than typical architectural drawings, distancing themselves from a traditional focus on structure, columns, and beams.

While he designed highly ornamented buildings—complete with custom furniture and lighting fixtures—the prevailing modern architectural dogmas of the time dictated that "less is more" and "form follows function," championing a rationalism tied to industrialization. Consequently, Jurado was shunned by academia and criticized by intellectuals; yet, he remains celebrated by residents, locals, and tourists alike.

These contrasting reactions to Artacho Jurado's work serve as a starting point for the exhibition to explore the institutional values that shape an impersonal city, often at the expense of an affective urban experience.

In accordance with COVID-19 safety protocols, gallery capacity is limited to a maximum of 10 people at a time. To schedule a visit, please contact artachonacidade@gmail.com.