The artist Sol Calero (Caracas, 1982) creates immersive environments inspired by vernacular Latin American architecture. Façades and walls in vibrant colors are covered with hand-painted decorative patterns and mosaics, forming a kind of large three dimensional painting. The titles of her works often allude to female figures celebrated in salsa songs. This is the case of María Lionza, who gives its name to the pavilion conceived for the Vão Livre [Free Span], honoring a deity that blends Indigenous, Afro American, Catholic, and Venezuelan spiritualist elements. Casa María Lionza [María Lionza House] (2026) proposes a welcoming environment inspired by domestic spaces traditionally managed by women. Other references for Calero include the project by the architect Lina Bo Bardi (1914–1992)—who designed the MASP building—for the Church of the Holy Spirit of Cerrado (1975-81) in Uberlândia, as well as Anna Mariani’s (1935-2002) photographs of house façades in northeastern Brazil.

Sol Calero: Casa María Lionza is curated by Adriano Pedrosa, Artistic Director, and Laura Cosendey, Assistant Curator, MASP