"Histórias brasileiras" accompanies the collective exhibition of the same title held at the São Paulo Museum of Art Assis Chateaubriand (MASP) in the year that marks the 200th anniversary of Brazil's independence and the 100th anniversary of the Week of Modern Art in São Paulo. The project is part of a series of exhibitions centered around different Histories of MASP and is inserted into the context of an intense review of Brazil's histories. What are the themes, narratives, events, and characters to be celebrated, studied, and questioned in this long and conflict-ridden process?
With over 300 works by approximately 250 artists and collectives spanning from the 15th to the 21st century, this catalog reproduces paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, videos, installations, newspapers, magazines, books, documents, flags, and maps included in the exhibition. The book follows the exhibition's division into eight sections, each introduced by a curatorial text: "Bandeiras e mapas" (Flags and maps); "Paisagens e trópicos" (Landscapes and tropics); "Terra e território" (Land and territory); "Retomadas" (Retakes); "Rebeliões e revoltas" (Rebellions and revolts); "Mitos e ritos" (Myths and rituals); "Festas" (Festivals); and "Retratos" (Portraits). It is an indispensable volume for those who wish to understand Brazilian visual art and culture throughout the centuries from a broader, more diverse, and revisionist perspective.
