SAO PAULO.- Carlos Jereissati Filho, CEO of IGUATEMI, presents In the Name of the Artists – Contemporary American Art from the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art. Supported by IGUATEMI, the exhibition of 219 works come from the Astrup Fernley Museum of Modern Art in Oslo, Norway. This compilation will provide a unique opportunity for the public to witness pivotal works - previously unseen in Brazil - by the most distinguished names in global contemporary art. It will occupy the São Paulo Biennial Pavilion from September 30 to December 4, 2011.

Icons like Jeff Koons, Matthew Barney, Richard Prince, Robert Gober, Nan Goldin, Sherry Levine, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Lousie Lawler, Charles Ray, Christopher Wool and Shirin Neshat will be represented for the first time in the country with large-scale series, alongside a newer generation of artists including Nate Lowman, Dan Colen, Gardar Eide Einarsson, Aaron Young, Seth Price, Matthew Brannon and Matthew Day Jackson. A selection of works by art world superstar Damien Hirst will also be on display. “The objective of the Biennal museum is to show what is happening in the world of contemporary art, and the Astrup Fearnley collection is one of the best examples in the world in this sense” says Heitor Martins, president of the São Paulo Biennial.

Curated by Gunnar Kvaran, director of the Norwegian museum, the exhibition represents a significant moment in the history of the São Paulo Biennial Pavilion where the most significant event in the contemporary art calendar takes place every other year. At this juncture, the celebration of the São Paulo Biennial’s 60th anniversary and the mounting of the show In The Name of The Artists draws on the institution’s power to transform the cultural life of the nation by promoting major exhibitions in the off years between editions of its biannual art exhibit.

This cultural initiative continues IGUATEMI’s dedication to supporting contemporary art and giving the people of Brazil access to celebrated artists and their works. Devoted to providing a platform for individuals to create a personal dialogue with various artistic mediums and showing their importance as a contemporary cultural expression, IGUATEMI sponsors projects such as the São Paulo Biennale, IGUATEMI Photo Series, SPArte & SPArte/Foto, as well as donates regularly to Pinacoteca do Estado and to MAM (Museu de Arte Moderna).

The Astrup Fearnley Collection is a private institution in Oslo which exhibits international contemporary art since its inception in 1993. The collection contains over 500 works from the entrepreneur Hans Rasmus Astrup, deemed one of the 200 most important collectors in the world by the British magazine Artreview. In an effort to redefine the limits of the art historical canon, the collection has focused on the acquisition of individual artworks as opposed to emphasizing periods or historical movements. Rather than presenting an encyclopedic panorama of international contemporary art, the museum unites works from artists known for their innovative visual lexicon, originality, and for their reinvention of significant aspects of culture. In the last decade, the museum has focused on American names like Jeff Koons, Richard Prince, Cindy Sherman, Matthew Barney, and young artists like Paul Chan, Frank Benson, Nate Lowman and Dan Colen, amongst others. In recent times, the museum has acquired works by Japanese, Chinese and Indian artists.

IGUATEMI currently manages thirteen strategically placed luxury shopping centers in Brazil, located in Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Campinas, Sorocaba, São Carlos, Florianópolis, Porto Alegre, Caxias do Sul and its flagship in São Paulo – which attracts over 1.6 million visitors a month and includes Brazil’s largest number of luxury stores, including Burberry, Missoni, Gucci, Christian Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Ermenegildo Zegna, Bulgari, Salvatore Ferragamo, and many more. Known for providing its clientele with a comprehensive shopping experience that brings together the world’s finest luxury brands, Brazilian designers, dining, entertainment, art and exceptional customer service, IGUATEMI has become one of the largest, full service companies in Brazil’s shopping center sector. A pioneer of indoor shopping in Latin America, IGUATEMI opened its flagship IGUATEMI São Paulo in 1966 making it the first shopping center in Brazil. IGUATEMI currently has four shopping centers under development, including the luxurious IGUATEMI JK soon to open in São Paulo (Spring 2012).