Chelpa Ferro

Chelpa Ferro is a Brazilian art group formed in 1995 by artists Barrão, Luiz Zerbini, and Sergio Mekler.

Barrão made a name for himself in the 1980s, by using banal materials – from refrigerator components, to television parts and other fragments of household appliances- to create ironic sculptures. Luiz Zerbini is a recognised painter, and Sergio Mekler is one of the most sought after editors of video and cinema in Brazil.

Chelpa Ferro is an old colloquial Portuguese term for money, chosen by the artists because of its sound. The group’s eclectic work explores indeed the plasticity of the sound and its dynamics through sculptures, objects, installations and music performances that challenge the senses of the viewer by using every day objects. In August 2021 they released the album 'Hip Hop'.

Among their solo shows: ‘Sonorama’, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro (2015); ‘Visual Sound’, Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Connecticut, USA (2011); and ‘Totoro’, Pinacoteca do Estado, São Paulo (2009).

The group has also been featured in major international events such as: Museu De Arte do Rio (2015); Around Sound Art Festival, Hong Kong (2015); ‘Dialogos com Palatnik’ Museu de Arte Moderna, São Paolo (2014); ‘Reinventing the World’ Museu Vale, Vila Velha, Brazil (2013); ‘Soundworks’, ICA, London (2012); and the Biennials of Mercosul, Brazil (2009), Venice (2005), Havana (2003), São Paulo (2002, 2004); and Liverpool (2002).

In 2021 they released a new album titled 'Chelpa Ferro: Hip Hop'.

Curriculum Vitae