In Troca Brasil, PNCA exchanges with a gallery in Rio de Janeiro, known as A Gentil Carioca and are putting the final touches on what promises to be an exciting, festive and sensual show opening Thursday. A Gentil Carioca means the kind ones from Rio, and the mission statement of the gallery is kindness. A Gentil Carioca creates a space for showing work that could not possibly exist anywhere else. Their kindness is towards the experimental and daring artist, and in the last minute hustle of final preparations before tomorrow's opening, you can feel that sensual, playful spirit in the gallery like a warm South American breeze. The work is daring, comic, vibrant, warm, like a vigorous embrace from a long lost friend.



Marcio Botner makes videos which document his own actions in still frames. He positions himself as a barrier between life experience and intellectual constructs. The final result is intimate and funny, as well as a puzzling deconstruction of the principles of art production and curation. In one piece, the three primary colors enslave him. His body changes color and he is doomed to repeat the banal routines of rousing himself as he cycles through the endless oubliette of color theory.



The obvious response to Laura Lima's work is this: "You look fabulous, darling." And once you've said that, you will immediately check yourself, because you'll realize that you're talking to a chicken. Lima embellishes chickens and roosters with huge peacock trains of day-glo feathers. The chickens have feather extensions (which do not cause them pain or discomfort in any way) Clearly a commentary on the excesses of vanity, it also has the raucous celebratory spirit of Carnivale. Especially when classes are interrupted by the rooster crowing.



In the center of PNCA you'll see a giant, friendly, pink squishy thing. This is the work of Ernesto Neto. Made of a delicate, transparent, spandex-like (maybe it is spandex?) material and weighted with sand. I have only seen this work half-way installed, so I am not yet prepared to address the interactive component, but it looks very much like one climbs inside this giant cozy membrane and feels that all is right with the universe.



Make sure to stop in tomorrow for the opening at 6pm.

Pacific Northwest College of Art • 1241 NW Johnson, Portland, OR, 97209