Hélio Oiticica in New York

“Lygia, I came back from New York on the 19th; I stayed one month, the exhibition was a great success and this time, I feel that I am truly respected by the entire ar t world; the Americans are more vital and they are more interested in everything...”Oiticica’s entry into the New York art world was hallmarked by his successful participation in the group show Information at the Museum of Modern Art that stirred much attention in the summer of 1970. In addition, Oiticica was awarded the prestigious Guggenheim fellowship in 1971 allowing him to settle in New York for a longer period. The following essay highlights some key aspects of Oiticica’s artistic position within the New York art world of the 1970s, and seeks to elaborate on his prior activities, which were strongly influenced by his immediate surroundings: collaboration, the inclusion of new media, collage techniques and filmic practices. The first part of the text sheds light on the city’s disparate art scenes, the second part introduces Loft 4, the artist’s home/studio in the East Village and the projects developed there, and the third part looks into Oiticica’s cosmopolitan side and his idea of a “world-shelter” (“mundo-abrigo”), which can be found in the Babylonestsn and his New York writings, Newyorkaises/Conglomerado