VIADO

Inspection Pit is proud to present VIADO, a solo exhibition by Danilo Zocatelli, curated by Phoebe Ahern and Will Vetch.

The slang expression ‘viado’, derived from the word ‘veado’ meaning ‘deer’ in Brazilian Portuguese, is used to label men who are gay or perceived as insufficiently masculine. It functions as a pervasive derogatory term that has long served to police gender norms and continues to marginalise those who do not conform to dominant constructions of masculinity. 

VIADO presents video performance and photography, through which Zocatelli highlights a tension between self-expression and social perception, where authenticity in identity may be read by others as excessive or “monstrous”. This raises questions about how non-normative identities are judged and the extent to which conformity is expected. He engages with these concerns through narratives centred on himself and, more broadly, the queer community. Performing for the camera, Zocatelli embraces the slur he has been called his entire life, using the forest as his stage to become a fully formed viado/deer. 

Danilo Zocatelli is a Brazilian artist based in the New Forest, UK. Shaped by a sense of discovery following his departure from Brazil in 2012, he explores new perspectives, encounters, and forms of storytelling through his practice. After completing his MA in Photography at the Royal College of Art, London, in 2024, he has since exhibited internationally, most recently presenting a solo exhibition of his work in Tiradentes, Brazil. Notable group exhibitions include Family Stories presented by Hangar Gallery at PhotoBrussels Festival 2025, Brussels, Belgium; and the Dior Photography and Visual Arts Award for Young Talents 2025, 8th Edition, Luma, Arles, France. VIADO marks the culmination of his month-long residency with Inspection Pit in 2025.

A new essay by Beatriz Lobo Britto will accompany the exhibition.