A Gentil Carioca is delighted to present Abre alas 21 (2026), celebrating the 21st edition of a project that is a fundamental part of the gallery’s history and identity. Since 2005, Abre alas has inaugurated our annual exhibition calendar and, with each edition, reaffirms our desire to open pathways, create encounters, and closely accompany the emergence and growth of new trajectories in contemporary art. This is also the second year Abre Alas takes place also in São Paulo, in our gallery located in Higienópolis.

For this edition, the curatorial team — Felipe Molitor, Lena Solà Nogué and Ramon Martins — selected 14 artists from across Brazil, as well as from countries such as Colombia and Venezuela, whose research reveals the diversity of contexts, languages and affinities that shape current artistic production:

Ana Luiza Domicent, Ana V. Lopes, David Caicedo Alzate, Felipe Braga, Jean Deffense, Leticia Morgan, Lucas Emanuel, Lucas Speranza, Oriana Pérez, Sheila Kracochansky, Telma Gadelha, Thatiane Mendes, Vicente Baltar, and Yara Ligiéro.

Together, these practices form a plural field of listening, experimentation and exchange, reflecting the vocation of Abre Alas as a vibrant, living network.

How it all began

The project was born in 2004, when, at the end of the gallery’s first year, Márcio Botner, Laura Lima and Ernesto Neto realized the richness contained in the roughly 200 portfolios received from artists across Brazil. From that came the desire to transform this encounter into an annual exhibition, traditionally presented close to Carnival, symbolically opening A Gentil Carioca’s exhibition year.

The name Abre alas refers to the float that leads the samba school parades — an image of passage, celebration and movement. Created initially to give space to young artists, the project expanded over the years, eventually welcoming artists from different parts of the world. Since 2010, invited curators have participated in the selection process, adding perspectives and strengthening the dialogue.

More than an exhibition, Abre alas is an ongoing gesture of care, listening and celebration. It is a space where encounters happen and where we follow, with affection and pride, the many paths that open from here.

Abre alas 21: Rio de Janeiro: 7 Feb - 18 Abr 2026. São Paulo: 11 Feb - 21 Mar 2026.