Magic Square #5, De Luxe 1977

Helio Oiticica’s 'Magic Square #5, De Luxe' stands like a minimalist stage set. The planes of white, yellow, purple, and orange, meet the sky in a silent, geometric drama. I can only imagine what it was like for Oiticica to figure this out, the shifting of forms, the play of light on colored surfaces – a dance between intention and improvisation. There is something almost musical about the way he orchestrates space and color. The yellow square with its cut-out windows makes me think of jazz and syncopation. I see echoes of Mondrian’s grid, but with a Brazilian twist, more bodily, more playful. Oiticica invites us to step into the painting, to wander through the colored planes, to become part of the composition. Like a canvas come to life.