Willen Teofilo New York

Photo : Willen Teófilo

We follow Willen Teófilo, a storyteller from the backstage of New York’s most prestigious museums, as he unveils his pivotal role in exhibition assembly. In this backstage guide, discover how Willen, a master of industrial design and a maker by nature, transitions between the roles of artist and exhibition assembler, diagramming stories and culture through his meticulous setups. His background in industrial design and passion for crafting musical instruments and innovative furniture enrich his unique approach. Unlock the secrets behind the works that captivate crowds. Delve into the mind of a true contemporary artisan who shapes the cultural experience of visitors worldwide.

Willen Teófilo, a Brazilian native of Brasília, aged 49, has resided in Brooklyn, New York, for approximately 25 years. His work encompasses not only the creation and assembly of exhibitions but also the maintenance of artworks, indigenous artifacts, and even dinosaurs, contributing to the preservation and presentation of a diverse cultural legacy. Among his notable projects are exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum, including the recent “Native New York

How did you start in this profession in NYC ? 

I came to New York young. I studied Multimedia and Design, then I finished a few industrial design courses and that landed me a job in an industrial design shop in Brooklyn, where I learned woodwork and the art of mold making, which is working with resin and silicone molds to cast sculptures. Also, I did several works for famous artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Richard Prince and David Baskin.

From there I started working in an architectural model making firm, where I worked in various architectural models as well as model installation, including the construction of 8 architectural models, exhibited in the exhibition “Frank Lloyd Wright’s celebration of 50 years of the construction of the Guggenheim Museum in New York“.  After a while building miniatures, during the 2009 recession I started working in the fabrication studio, where I still work. I’ve worked on several interesting projects, too many to keep track of. Every year I work on The Met Gala.

Most recently I have worked on installations for Leandro Erlich, Jay-Z, Spike Lee, Kara Walker. All those previous skills of industrial design and model making led me into this field of work, where I’m not only putting together museum exhibitions, but also museum maintenance – you know, fixing displays in the museum, hanging valuable works of art, and cleaning and fixing dinosaurs. Many of the exhibitions are viewed by millions of people all year around. And sometimes I go with friends – seeing people enjoying the installations and learning from the exhibition without thinking about who put it together, it makes my heart smile. 

On average how long does each project last ?

Some of the shows travel for years, decades and the company I work for is hired to organize the installation. From unloading the trucks that arrive full of crates, to the logistics of placing every object where it belongs, it takes about 3 weeks to build an exhibition, and we need to follow all of the safety requirements and guidelines. Sometimes the shows are on for about 6 months, until they go on to another city. 

How many museums, galleries and institutes have you worked in? 

I have worked in the great majority of museums located in New York, but have also done some installations in Boston and Washington DC. I recently worked on the American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum. This hall will exhibit furniture from American designers from the beginning of the last century.  Another interesting and favorite installation was the Leonardo DaVince Inventions, at the main gallery of the Kean University in New Jersey.

Willen Teofilo New York

Leandro Erlich, The Building, 2023. Installation view at Liberty Science Center, Jersey City, New Jersey ( Photo : Willen Teófilo )

Which of these mounting projects had more significant value, complexity and/or generated affective memory?

The project that I worked on for Jack Whitten left a big mark on me. He was the oldest notable black American artist alive in America at the time, and he was very well known for his paintings but never for his sculptures. Nobody ever saw his sculptures. I designed and fabricated the wall mounts and stands for them. He was already sick and fragile and he couldn’t come to the shop to see my work. He died a few days later and never got to see his first sculpture exhibition in New York.

I also worked on the Game of Thrones Exhibition (Second and Third Season), where I had to make a functional bow and arrow, attached to a console/game where you could shoot arrows on the screen in one of the battles of this series. Also the exhibition “Play it Loud ” was about the instruments of famous musicians that have a place in the Hollywood Hall of Fame. 

You are currently finishing a montage at the National Museum of the American Indian in Manhattan, The Museum of the American Indian, how was this project? Is the museum going to open or has it already opened this installation that you prepared for visitation?

I recently finished this exhibition called “Native New York ” which is about the Native Americans that helped to build New York. They never got the credit for it. In this exhibition, you learn about the path the indigenous have walked all over New York, including their tribe’s stories, culture, and artifacts. The Island of Manhattan was called Mannahatta, and it means “Land with many hills”.

This exhibition was particularly nice to work on, because being a native Brazilian myself, or Indigenous Brazilian, it just reinforced the notion that the death of native Indigenous people around the world is the biggest genocide known to man. And very little is known by average people and many of the school books are wrong. This exhibition will be open on June 23th.

You also make musical instruments and furniture right?

Ive been making things for a while now. But my first instrument was a project I did in school as a final project was a clear resin cast jazz bass. It worked great, but I discovered later that resin (or acrylic for that matter) is terrible at acoustic level. Normally the sound vibration penetrates wood much more effectively than plastic. But it looked cool, a clear jazz bass. Than I built a mandolin in the shape of a Flying V guitar, made out of bamboo. It looks really nice and sounds great, acoustically and electric. I gave it to my nephew as a gift for life.

The latest instrument I made was a fender telecaster-shaped guitar. A hybrid guitar, with stratocaster and telecaster pickups, also gave it to my other nephew. I have been making furniture for a long time as well. Small things, minimal design of various materials – desks, coffee table, table, credenzas, and things like that, that fits well in the layout of a New York apartment.

Willen Teofilo New York

Flying V guitar ( Photo : Willen Teófilo )

If our reader arrives one day in NYC, which museums would you recommend? where would be good to have a coffee or something to eat? 

Definitely the MOMA, The Metropolitan Museum, The American Museum of Natural History, Whitney, Brooklyn Museum, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, El Museo del Barrio, The Bronx Museum of the Arts… and there are so many more. For coffee and something to eat? Stay local, help the economy of the communities around the museums. Avoid big food corporations like Starbucks or any food chain.

Finally, outside of work, can you name which of the museums you like the most? 

The Metropolitan Museum. Whitney Museum and Brooklyn Museum.

Interview: Vital Lordelo Photos: Willen Teófilo

Willen Teofilo New York