ROCK-CUT TEMPLE BY PAUL KLEE AND LINA BO BARDI: PARALLEL WORLDS OF IMAGINATION

In 1951, Pietro Maria Bardi, the director of the Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP), planned the first solo exhibition of Paul Klee in Brazil. For this purpose, the gallerist Suzanne Feigel brought 32 works to Brazil. However, the exhibition was delayed due to problems with the customs clearance. Additionally, concerns were raised that Klee's small-scale paintings would be lost in the extensive, open exhibition space of MASP. Attempts to borrow additional works failed due to high costs and conservation reasons. Nonetheless, Klee's drawing Rock-Cut Temple, 1925, 251 came into the possession of the architect Lina Bo Bardi. It turns out that there is a remarkable connection between this work and Bardi's own residence, the Casa de Vidro (Glass House) in São Paulo. While Klee's drawing transport viewers into an imaginary world filled with mysterious architectures, Bardi's Glass House creates a unique link between interior and exterior spaces. It seamlessly integrates with the surrounding nature and invites entirely new perceptual experiences. In 1953, Klee was finally given his first exhibition in Brazil at the II São Paulo Biennial.