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Hélio Oiticica — Seja marginal seja herói (Be an Outlaw Be a Hero)
Hélio Oiticica

Seja marginal seja herói (Be an Outlaw Be a Hero)

Created in 1968, this bold screenprint on cloth by Brazilian artist Hélio Oiticica features a stark, high-contrast image of a slain criminal laid out on the ground, overlaid with the provocative text "Seja marginal seja herói" ("Be an Outlaw Be a Hero"). The work challenges conventional notions of heroism and morality, celebrating those who exist outside the boundaries of mainstream society. Rooted in the political and cultural upheaval of Brazil under military dictatorship, the piece became an iconic symbol of countercultural resistance and Oiticica's broader vision of radical social freedom.

Medium
screenprint inks on cloth

🔨 Auction Lot

Latin America

May 29, 2014

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About this work

Hélio Oiticica, Seja marginal seja herói (Be an Outlaw Be a Hero)

Created in 1968, this bold screenprint on cloth by Brazilian artist Hélio Oiticica features a stark, high-contrast image of a slain criminal laid out on the ground, overlaid with the provocative text "Seja marginal seja herói" ("Be an Outlaw Be a Hero"). The work challenges conventional notions of heroism and morality, celebrating those who exist outside the boundaries of mainstream society. Rooted in the political and cultural upheaval of Brazil under military dictatorship, the piece became an iconic symbol of countercultural resistance and Oiticica's broader vision of radical social freedom.

Medium
screenprint inks on cloth
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

Red and Black, Twentieth Century, Male Artist, Brazilian Artist, Neo-Concrete Movement, Conceptual Art, Political Statement, Avant-Garde, Textile Medium, Screenprint, Bold Typography, Counterculture

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