During London 2012, Casa Brasil will be the home of both Rio 2016 and the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB), and is based at Somerset House located in the centre of the capital.

The exhibition, titled From the Margin to the Edge: Brazilian Art and Design in the 21st Century, will open on July 21 while it will run until September 8, the day before the Closing Ceremony of the Paralympic Games.

It is designed to bring together the best of Brazilian art and design while celebrating the nation's rich cultural offering.

In total, the exhibition will showcase 33 artists and designers, featuring Brazil's emerging and established names, and Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman is confident it will be a huge success.

"Casa Brasil during London 2012 will be a wonderful opportunity to promote Brazil's diverse culture, the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Brazilian sport," said Nuzman, who is also the COB President.

"It will make me very proud, when the world gathers in London for the Games, to showcase the best of Brazil's contemporary art and design.

"We have gathered a team of first-class artists who express our country's vibrant culture and we are delighted everyone in London will be able to experience their work at Somerset House this summer."


The exhibition will be curated by Brazilian art historian Rafael Cardoso, and designed by scenographers Daniela Thomas and Felipe Tassara for Somerset House's Embankment Galleries.

All of the works have been created in the past 10 years and cover the country's contemporary output in all its forms including installation pieces, painting, photography, video and sculpture.

The works include Flag (pictured top) by Emmanuel Nassar, which features a deconstructed Brazil Flag painted on metal sheets, and Fold 2 (pictured above) by Regina Silveira, which is a dark wooden sculpture with hinges.

"Alongside the development of the Brazilian economy and industry, there is also growing interest in and renewed respect for Brazilian art and design on the international stage," said Cardoso.

"We have a dynamic art scene in Brazil, which dares to take risks and produces interesting work on the cutting edge.

"With the exhibition in Casa Brasil at Somerset House, we wanted to reflect this shift in global opinion and express our national ambitions by presenting an exciting and eclectic mix of artistic talent that will contribute to London 2012's amazing festival of sport and culture."

The exhibition has been specially commissioned by Rio 2016 exclusively for Casa Brasil at Somerset House, which will be the focal point for promoting Brazil and Brazilian sport during London 2012.

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