Regina Silveira is a pivotal figure in contemporary art, renowned for her innovative exploration of visual perception and spatial dynamics. Her artistic journey has continuously challenged conventional notions of reality and representation through a diverse range of media, including printmaking, installation, video and digital art.
R. Silveira’s early work was deeply influenced by her training in printmaking and her engagement with the Brazilian Concrete art movement. This foundation provided her with a rigorous approach to form and structure, which she later subverted in her quest to interrogate the boundaries between the real and the illusory. Her fascination with shadows, perspective and the distortion of space emerged in the 1970s, setting the stage for her most iconic pieces. R. Silveira’s use of “skiagraphia” (shadow art) in her installations involves creating a visual separation between objects and their shadows – usually employing black paint or vinyl panels – resulting in an eerie effect that highlights the interplay between presence and absence.

Her seminal work A Lição [The Lesson, 2002] exemplifies her ability to manipulate perception and challenges the viewer’s understanding of space. In this work, she used vinyl cutouts to project exaggerated shadows of geometric objects onto walls and floors, creating a disorienting effect while inviting spectators to reconsider their relationship with their surroundings and question the reliability of their own senses.

Throughout her career, R. Silveira has exhibited a keen interest in the intersections of art, architecture and technology. Her installations often employ advanced techniques and materials to create immersive environments that blur the line between art and reality. Escada Inexplicável 2 [Inexplicable Staircase 2, 1999] exemplifies the optical illusions that characterise R. Silveira’s work. In this large-scale piece, her choice of a stairwell image induces a sense of vertigo and infinite regression, challenging the viewer’s perception of negative and positive space. By manipulating the visible and the invisible, R. Silveira highlights how the visible world is largely shaped by the observer’s relative position, a concept reminiscent of her Brazilian Neo-Concretist predecessors like Lygia Clark (1920–1988) and Hélio Oiticica (1937–1980). Through this work, R. Silveira emphasises that reality is not as fixed and universal as it might seem.

R. Silveira’s exploration of visual phenomena and her innovative use of technology and space make her a seminal figure in contemporary art. Through her work, she invites viewers to engage with the complexities of perception and to embrace the uncertainties that lie at the heart of the human experience. Her enduring impact on the art world underscores the transformative power of pushing the boundaries of perception and reality, ensuring her legacy as an artist who challenges the landscape of contemporary visual art.

R. Silveira’s art has been exhibited in major international venues, including the São Paulo Biennial (1981, 1983, 1998, 2021), the Havana Biennial (1986, 1998, 2015), and the Museum of Modern Art in New York (1999, 2004, 2022). Her contributions to the art world extend beyond her own practice. She has been a dedicated educator, teaching at prestigious institutions such as the University of São Paulo, where she influenced a generation of artists with her experimental approach.