Gabriel Haddad and Leonardo Bora exhibit works in Rio and São Paulo

Carnival artists show works simultaneously at CCBB RJ, Paço Imperial and Pinacoteca de São Paulo.

Brazilian artists and carnival designers Gabriel Haddad and Leonardo Bora are part of three simultaneous exhibitions in major institutions in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The shows feature works that merge contemporary art and carnival aesthetics, celebrating memory, creativity, and collective imagination.

Three exhibitions, one creative thread

At the Paço Imperial, the duo presents the installation “Rebordar”, made of 12 kilometers of cords, fabrics, and cables that link an iron globe to a cloth mantle. The piece uses materials typical of samba school workshops to evoke memory, community, and spirituality. Drawings of carnival costumes and floats from 2018 and 2022 are also displayed.

According to the artists, “Rebordar” connects experiences from their 2018 and 2022 carnival projects and anticipates their next parade for Unidos de Vila Isabel, which in 2026 will honor Heitor dos Prazeres.

At the CCBB Rio de Janeiro, they exhibit the site-specific installation “Vermelho-Mangue”, part of the collective show “Manguezal”. Inspired by the Amazonian mangroves and their mythic beings, the work repurposes carnival materials to explore the mangrove as a space of enchantment, hybridity, and creation.

In São Paulo, Haddad and Bora take part in “Trabalho de Carnaval”, at the Pinacoteca de São Paulo, alongside names such as Rosa Magalhães, Joãosinho Trinta, and Heitor dos Prazeres. Three studies for the 2019 Acadêmicos do Cubango parade are shown, in dialogue with the film “A Alma das Coisas” by Douglas Soares and Felipe Herzog. The artists highlight the importance of showing sketches and drafts as part of the creative and collective carnival process.

About the artists

Gabriel Haddad and Leonardo Bora are multidisciplinary artists and professors whose work bridges samba school artistry and contemporary expression. They have created narratives for groups such as Acadêmicos do Cubango, Grande Rio, and Unidos de Vila Isabel, winning the 2022 Rio Carnival with “Fala, Majeté! Sete Chaves de Exu.” Their creations have been shown at the Museu de Arte do Rio, Centre National du Costume (France), and Museu Bispo do Rosário, among others.

Service

PIPA Prize 2025 Exhibition – Paço Imperial Until November 16, 2025 Praça XV de Novembro, 48 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ Tuesday to Sunday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Free admission

“Manguezal” Exhibition – CCBB Rio de Janeiro Until February 2, 2026 Rua Primeiro de Março, 66 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ Wednesday to Monday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (closed Tuesdays) Free admission

“Trabalho de Carnaval” Exhibition – Pinacoteca de São Paulo From November 8, 2025, to April 12, 2026 Avenida Tiradentes, 273 – Luz, São Paulo – SP Free admission on Saturdays and the second Sunday of each month