What are Parangolés?

Parangolés, by Brazilian artist Hélio Oiticica, are a set of works that were born from “a vital need for Disintellectualization, intellectual disinhibition, the need for free expression”.

Parangolé is a kind of cover that you wear, with texts, photos, colors and that serves as a multisensory-action-work.

“The objective is to give the public the chance to change from being a spectator, an outsider, to being a participant in the creative activity”. Parangolé is “anti-art par excellence”, you cannot go to a Parangolés exhibition, the spectator wears the work and the work comes to life through him, it is the capacity for self-creation, for the expansion of sensations and disruption.

The Parangolés presuppose a transformation in the artist’s conception, who is no longer the creator of objects for passive contemplation and becomes an incentive for creation by the public.

At the same time, they propose a transformation in the spectator, given that the work only happens with their participation.

It is about displacing art from the intellectual and rational sphere to the sphere of creation, of participation.

Video about the Parangolés and the work of Hélio Oiticica