The Ovaloids' Meeting 1998

Ernesto Neto created these pillowy forms to occupy space and invite interaction. I'm looking at these big, soft, white shapes and I can just imagine what it must have been like to feel them into being. Neto seems to be playing with weight, volume, and texture. It's like he's inflating the space around him with these sensual, organic forms. He is creating a conversation between the sculptures and their surroundings. I bet it was a push and pull process, shifting things around to find the perfect balance. It’s interesting to think about the conversation artists have with one another across time. Neto is in conversation with artists who have worked with soft sculpture, like Claes Oldenburg. Ultimately, I feel like what Neto is doing here is about being playful and curious. He's inviting us to question our perceptions of space, form, and materiality and it feels really generative.