Art and war seem like antagonistic words, but here they come together in this interesting set of 37 Afghan carpets from the personal collection of curator Victor Nosek. 

Held by the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON), the exhibition "Afghanistan - carpets of peace and war" is based on MON's permanent collection of works. Unlike other cultural institutions, a museum's role, in addition to caring for and expanding its collection, is to create dialogues between its works and the exhibitions it holds. This is one of the Museum's proposals.

It is worth remembering that MON has the largest collection of Asian art in Latin America, following the donation of thousands of works years ago by diplomat and professor Fausto Godoy, which marked a new curatorial vocation. 

Space was then made in the collection for Asian, African and Latin American art, in line with the great museums of the world, making it distinct from the Eurocentric tendency that dominates Western culture. This initiative has positioned MON among the great international museums. 

In this vein, we are now bringing to our audience the ancient tradition of Afghan tapestry, which in recent decades has incorporated war themes into its traditional designs. Both themes are presented in this new exhibition, divided into two axes: peace and war.

More than appreciating the aesthetics, the show touches us by its proposal and leads us to perceive the world through the provocative gaze of denunciation. It offers visitors this unique experience of searching for meaning and reflecting on such a complex subject through the beauty of art.

Afghanistan is one of the most politically sensitive regions on the planet. Nestled between such diverse giants as Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran and China, its geographic location not only places it at the crossroads of great civilizations but also of some of the most important religions on the planet: Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, mainly.

Afghanistan is home to a very ancient civilization, which already existed as a Persian domain when Alexander III of Macedon, the Great, walked through the region and founded Balkh, one of his most advanced outposts in Asia, in 334 BCE. Part of the population still retains physical traces of their ancestral Greeks. This same population, with equally ancestral habits, is made up of a large cast of ethnic groups and tribes that resulted from the occupation by invaders of various origins – Persians, Greeks, Mongols, etc. – throughout their history, which have instilled, both genetically and in deep-rooted traditions, values ​​and concepts that each of them defends with fierce zeal.

Proud of their roots, these ethnic groups and tribes, which are divided between the Sunni and Shiite branches of Islam – approximately 90% are Sunni and 10% Shiite, roughly speaking – do not accept the preponderance of any other over them, no matter how large it may be in number, even though the Sunni Taliban, of the Pashtun ethnic group, currently dominate the government and public life and oppress other ethnic and religious groups. Afghans are even less accepting of interference from other cultures, and they remember the period when two of the largest empires of the 19th century, the Russian and the British, fought for hegemony over Central Asia in the region, which history has recorded as the “Great Game”.

It was this same spirit of resistance that was ignited in December 1979 when the Soviet Union, heeding the call of the communist government then in power in Afghanistan, invaded the country to support it in the fight against the mujahideen insurgents, made up of groups that rebelled against the oppression of the Marxist creed, which they understood to be a degradation of the values ​​of Islam. This was because the Soviets sought to impose their secular concepts, locked the mosques and prevented public worship. The resistance took on dramatic proportions when the Soviets abandoned Afghanistan in 1991, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, leaving room for the intensification of confrontations between the hardened militants who had taken refuge in the mountains that make up the country's rugged geography. At the same time, Western troops from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), led by the United States, occupied the country after the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York on September 11, 2001, which, under the leadership of Osama bin Laden, were carried out by Al Qaeda, one of the most seasoned groups of the mujahideen.

After several political episodes that followed since then, with the departure of Western troops in August 2021, the Taliban came to power in Kabul. Part of the population that resists their designs has been seeking shelter in other parts of the planet, including Brazil, which already has around five thousand refugees.

"Afghanistan - rugs of peace and war" is the new project by the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON), which is on display in the Eye Tower (first floor and second floor). The exhibition was curated by collector Victor Nosek, with the collaboration of professor and diplomat Fausto Godoy.

The exhibition brings together 37 rugs from Afghanistan depicting scenes of peace and war and reflecting different moments in the country's socio-political and cultural landscape. The exhibition also features 19 pieces of Afghan jewelry that are part of the daily life of the people from the regions where the rugs were made.

Afghan tribal war rugs are part of the "art as a portrait of war" tradition. 

They are a dramatic update of this tradition. They represented the Russo-Afghan war and have been produced by various semi-nomadic pastoral tribes, whose way of life remained unchanged for centuries. 

Weaved in the highlands when the snow melted, where Afghans had gone in search of pastures for their flocks, and in their permanent homes during the winter. 

The "living" carpets are the fruit of this way of life. 

The high-quality wool was dyed with natural dyes collected during the annual migration. Weavers, in the silence of their tents, free from interference, used simple horizontal looms fixed to the ground. The traditional themes, developed from memory, without prior drawing, are characteristic of each artist. Preferably created for their own use, the surplus is sold and the proceeds used to buy carnelian jewelry, stones used to ward off the evil eye. 

At first in timid appearances within the traditional themes, tanks, helicopters, jets and grenades soon occupied the entire composition. Tribal and contemporary, the war rugs in this exhibition belong to the first ten years of that war, between 1970-1980, when pastoral nomadism was still possible. The advent of endemic famine and the annihilation of the herds made nomadism and the resulting production of quality "living" carpets impossible! 

May this exhibition contribute to reflection and humanity finally achieve the peace and progress it is destined for! 

Victor Nosek 
Collection and Curatorship 

dec. 1980
Handwoven rug made on horizontal looms using sheep and camel wool dyed with natural pigments. Mane and tail hair from horses are used for the side cords
129 x 92 cm

dec. 1960/70
Handwoven rug made on horizontal looms using sheep and camel wool dyed with natural pigments. Mane and tail hair from horses are used for the side cords
210 x 109 cm

déc. 1980
Handwoven rug made on horizontal looms using sheep and camel wool dyed with natural pigments. Mane and tail hair from horses are used for the side cords
143 x 98 cm

dec. 1980
Handwoven rug made on horizontal looms using sheep and camel wool dyed with natural pigments. Mane and tail hair from horses are used for the side cords
152 x 92 cm

dec. 1960/70
Handwoven rug made on horizontal looms using sheep and camel wool dyed with natural pigments. Mane and tail hair from horses are used for the side cords
194 x 102 cm

"Afghanistan - rugs of peace and war" is the new project at the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON). The exhibition can be seen from October 24 at the Eye Tower (first floor and second floor). The exhibition was curated by collector Victor Nosek, with the collaboration of professor and diplomat Fausto Godoy.

The exhibition brings together 37 rugs from Afghanistan depicting scenes of peace and war and reflecting different moments in the country's socio-political and cultural landscape. The exhibition will also feature 19 pieces of Afghan jewelry that are part of the daily life of the people in the regions where the rugs were made.

"Today, a museum is not just a place for preservation, but a space for dialog and reflection. The Oscar Niemeyer Museum exemplifies this role with a collection that ranges from art to historical and anthropological items, expanding the physical barriers of what a museum space is," says Luciana Casagrande Pereira, Paraná's Secretary of State for Culture. 

"Our aim is also to broaden cultural references. In this way, MON highlights the richness of Asian and African cultures, which make up one of the largest specialized collections in the Americas, presented both in long-term exhibitions and in itinerant exhibitions throughout Paraná," says the secretary.

MON director Juliana Vosnika says that the exhibition is an opportunity for visitors to see the ancient tradition of Afghan tapestry up close. "It's worth remembering that MON has the largest collection of Asian art in Latin America, following the donation of thousands of works years ago by diplomat and professor Fausto Godoy, which marked a new curatorial vocation," he says. 

Space was then made in the collection for Asian, African and Latin American art, in line with the great museums of the world, making it distinct from the Eurocentric tendency that dominates Western culture. This initiative has positioned the Oscar Niemeyer Museum among the great international museums. 

"In this vein, we are now bringing to our audience the ancient tradition of Afghan tapestry, which in recent decades has incorporated war themes into its traditional designs," says Juliana. Both themes are presented in this new exhibition, divided into two axes: peace and war.

Fausto Godoy, who served as Brazil's ambassador to Afghanistan for around two years, talks about the political importance of the exhibition, and curator Victor Nosek explains that the rugs that reflect the theme of peace are the oldest, and represent pastoral scenes, nature in general or geometric shapes. 

Tribal and contemporary, the war rugs reflect the period between 1970-1980 and will be exhibited separately on the second floor of the Tower. "We need to look at them, perceive that aesthetic and reflect on how it is possible to create beauty in war," says Godoy.

He points out that Afghanistan is one of the most politically sensitive regions on the planet. "Nestled between giants as diverse as Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran and China, its geographical location not only places it at the crossroads of great civilizations, but also of some of the most important religions on the planet: Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, in particular," he says.

The collector and curator of the exhibition explains that Afghan tribal war rugs are part of the tradition: art as a portrait of war. "They are a dramatic update of this tradition," says Nosek. 

According to him, these pieces represent the early years of the Russo-Afghan war and were produced by different semi-nomadic pastoral tribes, whose way of life remained unchanged for centuries. "May this exhibition contribute to reflection and humanity finally achieve the peace and progress to which it is destined," says the curator.

Afghanistan - rugs of peace and war

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More than celebrating the centenary of this artist from Curitiba, who is one of the main names in the arts in the State and the Country, the exhibition “Trilhos e Traços – Poty 100 anos” (“Tracks and Traces – Poty 100 years”), held by the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON), becomes a reference point for Poty Lazzarotto.

From now on, visitors to MON, especially the hundreds of students from public and private schools who visit the Museum daily, will certainly be able to find out more and get to know this brilliant artist better.

It is also an opportunity for the viewer to delve into Poty's life and work. This immersion in such vast content, gathered here, increases the repertoire, instigating a new perspective about the artist.

Recently, the Museum added the largest collection ever donated to the institution to its collection: approximately 4 thousand works of art signed by him. An excerpt of this can now be seen in this exhibition. Thus, the central axis of this building becomes the stage for the largest collections received by MON, alongside Asian and African art exhibitions.

The donation of Poty's work, generously made by the artist's family, brought to the Museum, in 2022, more than 3 thousand drawings and 366 engravings, in addition to tapestries, carvings, silkscreens, and sculptures. These are works that further enrich MON's collection, which in recent years has increased fivefold in size, consolidating the Museum as one of the most important in Latin America. 

Being the institution that preserves Poty's legacy is a source of pride, joy, and responsibility. In this exhibition, we share some of these feelings, translated by the artist's unmistakable traits. Belonging here has a full name: Poty Lazzarotto.

Juliana Vellozo Almeida Vosnika 
Director-President of the Oscar Niemeyer Museum

"A alma se expressa com mais claridade através do rosto [The soul expresses itself most clearly through the face] (Simmel)." We find this depth in Poty's portraits. They are expressive and agitated images: they have an actual existence, and there is no room for impersonality. Icons that surprise natural and social reality, ranging from realism to caricature. They are precise strokes and economic lines that synthesize the subject's personality in small details. The macambúzio (sullen) Bakun contrasts with the artist's energetic self-portraits. Poty, looking at himself, reveals the individuality of a firm and direct man, given to few daydreams - and human, all too human.

Born in a modest wooden house in Capanema, raised on the railroad tracks that passed in front of his home, with a father who was a railroad worker, a mother who was a cook, and a grandfather who was a carpenter, Poty developed a passion for humble workers that he cherished throughout his life, even after living in metropolises such as Rio de Janeiro and Paris. His drawings and engravings reflect his passion for the working man, both the day-to-day hard worker, especially the railway worker, the "polaca's" carts, the street vendors, the drivers of the open streetcars and the pub owners, and the simple man in everyday life: at church parties, workers' societies, the Cine Morgenau, the game of truco, all celebrating life. Poty sees work much more as fulfillment than hardship and alienation. In this poetic work, we find St. Francis's energy, Goya's courageous strokes, and Käthe Kollwitz's tenderness. Delicacy and social character, dignity, and humanity.

Poty celebrates the indigenous wisdom of nature and myths. Amid the countless languages and rich rituals, he gathers the born artist in the basketry, the stools, the bows and arrows, the body painting, the masks, and even the superficial knots and the architecture of the huts. Poty's Upper Xingu drawings in the still extensive Amazon Rainforest of the 1960s (1967/68) are a eulogy to nature, to Rousseau's good savage. They do justice to the overflowing intellectual and intuitive imagination of the locals.

"O mundo profano é o universo das interdições, enquanto o mundo sagrado corresponde ao das transgressões [The profane world is the universe of interdictions, while the sacred world corresponds to that of transgressions] (Bataille)." Poty's saints are well known, especially St. Francis, whom he has drawn, carved, and engraved countless times. The traces of the sacred, the communication with the metaphysical present in Poty's soul, lead him to a religion in the sense of religar, from the Latin religare, which celebrates human understanding. So, you don't necessarily have to be linked to a religion praising the gods to be religious. The aura, if there is one, is the one that involves connecting with others, the practice of humanism. Inspired by Saint Francis, Poty celebrates nature and the human person.

Immersing yourself in Poty's drawings and engravings means traveling through the daily life of provincial Curitiba. From the scenes of the "polacas'" carts, workers going to the trade by bicycle, disasters on the railroad, fights in the bars, the floods in the city center, the children flying kites, the Queirolo Brothers' Circus, and Didi Caillet's glorious return, to the procession of children running after Father Maurício's trolley, which handed out candies to attract the little ones to the Holy Office. He also extended his gaze to other places: his strokes slipped through the maritime scenes of Bahia, the churches and saints of Ouro Preto, and the sculptures of Chartres and Paris cathedrals. An eternal traveler, Poty combines nostalgic Curitiba with the discovery of the world.

Since the beginning of his artistic activity, Poty has always been a narrator, creating images to tell stories. As a child, he made comic strips inspired by American models; as a teenager, he created images of violence and fantasy inspired by authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and William Shakespeare. The cinema, also a form of narration through images, was another decisive influence on his work: as a child, he used to go to the old cinema at the Morgenau Club and then draw the scenes that stuck in his memory. Poty became a book illustrator at a young age: from 1943 until the end of his life, he illustrated more than 170 titles by Brazilian and foreign authors. With his love of cinema, he also produced a masterful series of drawings in the style of classic movie posters - drawing as an extension of the seventh art.

"Na galeria dos nossos grandes (mas muito poucos) ilustradores de nossos livros (numerosos, mas ainda muito poucos), nunca a fusão verbo-ícone atinge tão intrínseca adequação: nunca um ilustrador, entre nós, foi tão ilustrador, tão capaz de dizer o que as palavras não sabiam ou não podiam. [In the gallery of our great (but very few) illustrators of our books (numerous, but still very few), never has the verb-icon fusion reached such an intrinsic adequacy: never has an illustrator, among us, been so illustrative, so capable of saying what words did not know or could not.]" (Antônio Houaiss)

Poty's first public mural was in Praça 19 de Dezembro, on the occasion of the Centenary of the Emancipation of Paraná, in 1953, in a more realistic style. Since then, he has created many public works, which are present in several Brazilian cities, and has also reached Europe, with works in the Algarve, Portugal, and Paris. Public murals were an extension of engraving for the artist due to their ability to bring his art to a broader audience. In his public work, Poty uses sophisticated techniques to assemble and articulate symbolic elements to represent human history, the development of cities, the arts, knowledge, and technology. For those who visit Curitiba, we invite you to find Poty's murals in the city: like the rain and the pine trees, they are part of the Curitiba landscape.

"Cabe a cada menino guardar, para todo o sempre, um instante daquele voo de silêncio e fúria, de ruído e paz... [It is up to each child to keep, forever and ever, an instant of that flight of silence and fury, of noise and peace...]" (Valêncio Xavier)

The exhibition “Trilhos e Traços – Poty 100 anos” (“Tracks and Traces – Poty 100 years”), held by the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON), has approximately 500 works, a sample of the donation of 4 thousand works made by the artist’s family to the Museum, in 2022. Curated by Maria José Justino and Fabricio Vaz Nunes, it celebrates the centenary of Poty Lazzarotto (1924-1998).

In the exhibition, the works were organized around nine thematic groups present in Poty's artistic career, representing his different facets: the Narrator, the Work, the Xingu, the Sacred, the War, the Daily Life, the Traveler, the Muralist, and the Portraitist.

Poty, an artist from Curitiba? No: Poty, artist of the world. The premise of this exhibition is to show one of Curitiba's most essential artists in his universal dimension. We are celebrating the centenary of Poty Lazzarotto's birth by bringing to the public a wide selection of his works, which were recently donated to MON by Mr. Lazzarotto. João Geraldo Lazzarotto, the artist's brother. In this exhibition, the pieces have been organized around nine thematic nuclei present in his work, representative of the different facets of the artist: o Narrador (the Narrator), o Trabalho (the Work), the Xingu, o Sagrado (the Sacred), a Guerra (the War), o Cotidiano (Everyday Life), o Viajante (the Traveller), o Muralista (the Muralist) and o Retratista (the Portraitist). But Poty, the "piá" (kid) from Capanema who loved movies and comic books, is even more than all that. Through drawing, his primary means of expression, he approached the most varied themes, passing through different styles, always seeking to take art to its most important destination: the people. In his constant and obstinate artistic activity, he showed the real world of work and social reality; he recreated, in images, the creative universe of literature; in his murals, he shaped the great adventure of universal history. Always seeking to make art popular, he went from engraving to illustration, from tiny drawings to monumental murals. In the simplicity of his drawing, with his human and poignant vision of the human experience in all its dimensions, Poty created a vast collective imaginary: in his trails and strokes, we travel the world.

A exposição “Trilhos e Traços – Poty 100 anos”, realizada pelo Museu Oscar Niemeyer (MON), reúne aproximadamente 500 obras, um recorte da doação de 4 mil peças realizada pela família do artista ao Museu, em 2022. Com curadoria de Maria José Justino e Fabricio Vaz Nunes, comemora o centenário de Poty Lazzarotto (1924-1998).

MON holds a grand exhibition celebrating the hundred years of Poty Lazzarotto

The Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON) is holding the grand exhibition “Trilhos e Traços – Poty 100 anos” (“Tracks and Traces – Poty 100 years”), to celebrate the centenary of Poty Lazzarotto (1924-1998). Curated by Maria José Justino and Fabricio Vaz Nunes, the exhibition brings together approximately 500 works, a portion of the donation of 4,000 pieces made by the artist's family to the Museum, in 2022. The opening will be on April 11th, at 7 pm, in Room 6.

"Poty, in its centenary, remains current, incomparable, and this new exhibition reinforces the importance of the artist to the cultural identity of Paraná. I am sure that the exhibition at the Oscar Niemeyer Museum will introduce his unique work to thousands of people and also to new generations", says Luciana Casagrande Pereira, Secretary of State for Culture of Paraná.

“More than celebrating the centenary of this artist from Curitiba, who is one of the main names in the arts in the State and the Country, the exhibition becomes a place of reference for Poty Lazzarotto”, says the director-president of MON, Juliana Vosnika.

“From now on, visitors to MON, especially the hundreds of students from public and private schools who visit the Museum every day, will certainly be able to learn more and get to know this genius of the arts better”, she comments.

The exhibition is also an opportunity for viewers to delve deeper into Poty’s life and work. “By providing an immersion in such vast content, gathered here, MON encourages the public to expand their repertoire by taking a new look at this unique artist”, says Juliana.

The premise of the exhibition, according to the curators, is to extrapolate regional borders and present Poty in its universal dimension. “In his ceaseless and obstinate artistic activity, he recreated, in images, the creative universe of literature; in his murals, he created the great adventure of universal history”, they inform. “Always seeking popular dissemination of art, he went from engraving to illustration, from tiny drawings to monumental murals.”

In the exhibition, the works were organized around nine thematic groups present in Poty's artistic career, representing his different facets: the Narrator, the Work, the Xingu, the Sacred, the War, the Daily Life, the Traveler, the Muralist, and the Portraitist. “But Poty, the boy from Capanema who loved cinema and comic books, is even more than all of that,” say the curators.

On March 29, Curitiba's birthday – and coincidentally, Poty Lazzarotto's birth date – MON received the largest collection ever donated to the institution: approximately 4.5 thousand works. The year was 2022. This collection has more than 3,000 drawings and 366 engravings, as well as tapestries, carvings, screen prints, and sculptures, among others. The donation was made directly by João Lazzarotto, brother of the artist.

These are works that further enrich MON's collection, which in recent years has increased fivefold in size, consolidating the Museum as one of the most important in Latin America.

A selection of Poty's vast collection can be seen in this exhibition. Thus, the central axis of the Museum building becomes the stage for the largest collections received by MON, alongside displays of Asian and African art.

Poty Lazzarotto (Curitiba, 1924-1998) followed his path through drawing, then delving deeper into engraving, of which he became a master, being the creator of the first engraving course at the São Paulo Museum of Art (Masp). Much of his production is biographical, ranging from boyhood memories around railway tracks and train carriages to records of Curitiba types and the settings they inhabit.

 Poty is direct and straightforward in his drawings and engravings. It was with this spontaneous characteristic that he illustrated various works of Brazilian literature, such as Os Sertões (Rebellion in the Backlands), by Euclides da Cunha, and Grande Sertão: Veredas (The Devil to Pay in the Backlands), by Guimarães Rosa. He could also not have failed to give life to the controversial people from Curitiba portrayed in the stories of another icon from Paraná, Dalton Trevisan. 

 As if his presence in literature were not enough, Poty left his mark throughout Curitiba through his monuments or tile and exposed concrete panels, a practice that began with the panel “Desenvolvimento Histórico do Paraná” (Historical development of Paraná), in 1953, at 19 de Outubro Square. Other examples of this production are the panels on Nestor de Castro Street, in which he shows, on one side, a scene from a Curitiba that no longer exists, and, on the other, the evolution of the city, which emerged amid pine forests, inhabited by immigrants, and which stands out in the field of urbanism.

 The collection donated to the Oscar Niemeyer Museum relates to this entire production. In it we can find originals so often reproduced in books and other publications about the artist, we come into contact with the drawings he made on his expedition to the Xingu, in 1967, and we enter the intimacy of an almost unknown Poty. Furthermore, we still find sketches, projects, and studies, and we can see the evolution of the trait, from its youth to maturity. Therefore, the collection constitutes true ethnographic material about this artist. 

 Donated to MON by Poty Lazzarotto's family, the collection also includes, of course, consummate works, drawings, woodcuts, lithographs, metal engravings, wood carvings, and concrete blocks: thousands of pieces that give clear testimony to the versatility of this artist. Through Poty, we learned about the art that was made and is being made in Paraná.

 Preserving not only the legacy of this artist, but his memory, is above all a duty – a task assumed and adequately carried out, now, by the Oscar Niemeyer Museum.

A exposição “Trilhos e Traços – Poty 100 anos”, realizada pelo Museu Oscar Niemeyer (MON), reúne aproximadamente 500 obras, um recorte da doação de 4 mil peças realizada pela família do artista ao Museu, em 2022. Com curadoria de Maria José Justino e Fabricio Vaz Nunes, comemora o centenário de Poty Lazzarotto (1924-1998).

Na mostra, as obras foram organizadas em torno de nove núcleos temáticos presentes na trajetória artística de Poty, representativos das suas diferentes facetas: o Narrador, o Trabalho, o Xingu, o Sagrado, a Guerra, o Cotidiano, o Viajante, o Muralista e o Retratista.  

Trilhos e Traços – Poty 100 anos

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The arrival of the Asian collection at MON years ago elevated the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON) to the level of major international museums. The exhibition "Asia: the Land, the Men, the Gods", which presents a cross-section of this collection, donated by diplomat Fausto Godoy, has already been reformulated and has toured the interior of the state of Paraná, reaching thousands of people. 

Now, in a bold and unique way, the exhibition is being renewed with the aim of reaching an ever wider audience, further democratizing access to this rich collection.

We see the museum as a living, dynamic space with an eternal exchange between visitors, artists and curators. This time, MON's intention is to bring about a dialog between classical Asian art and contemporary artists from that continent. 

Contemporary art seeks to show us that there can always be beauty in imperfections and processes. We are all in constant mutation and art is a path towards the shifting balance that is life. 

How to be in harmony with impermanence is the proposal of this intervention at the Asian show. Among other new features, the public will find immersive real-time experiences, an interactive video library, a video installation and a "Virtual Museum" with 16 works by 12 Asian artists. In this way, MON maintains its premise of offering unique and transformative experiences to visitors.

Competed for by other institutions in Brazil and by collectors from abroad, MON's Asian collection consists of 3,000 pieces of art and, when it arrived, provoked a discussion about the definition of a new curatorial line by the Museum's cultural council. 

This was when space was opened up in the collection, with an emphasis also on Asian, African and Latin American art, in line with the great museums of the world, making it distinct from the Eurocentric tendency that dominates Western culture.

A museum exists on the basis of its collection, but it is through the interaction between the public and its works that culture and knowledge are disseminated, assets that make us more human.

Juliana Vellozo Almeida Vosnika 
CEO of the Oscar Niemeyer Museum

2. The experience is not recommended for people with the following health conditions: nausea, dizziness, balance or mobility problems, seizures, epilepsy, heart problems, anxiety or other medical problems sensitive to immersive experiences.

- Sanitize your hands before and after using the equipment;

- Make sure the goggles are adjusted correctly for clarity and comfort;

- Proper adjustment of the equipment should not cause pressure on the head and face.

5. Warning: if you feel discomfort, dizziness, nausea or any other symptom, remove the equipment and stop the activity immediately.

6. Secure loose items, such as bags or glasses, to prevent them from falling or being damaged during the experiment.

7. During the activity, loss of spatial awareness may occur. Observe the safety limits of the space and avoid sudden or large movements so as not to hit other visitors.

Text with instructions on how the visitor interacts with the Virtual Museum

I am a South Korean artist currently living in Paris. 

This is an interactive installation called "je(u)." In French, "je" means "I," while "jeu" means "game," thus creating a double meaning. 

In this project, the "I," often perceived as solid both physically and psychologically, becomes fluid, transient, ephemeral, and ghostly. 

When visitors enter the detection zone of the installation, they initially see their own image before them. However, shortly after, this image begins to dissolve and gradually transforms into particles. These fragments of ourselves remain in the virtual space even after we leave, merging with others, transforming, creating new forms and landscapes, and interacting with each other. 

The traces of ourselves persist in the virtual space, where the program collects the colors of visitors' clothes. As a result, the colors of the particles gradually change according to the colors of the participants' clothes. 

The visitors' movements generate a dance of particles in the virtual world. The traces left by others communicate with the visitor, blending into each other. Each of us extends into the other, and each of them lives partly within us. 

There is no clear boundary between "you" and "me". Thus, "je (me)" becomes "jeu (game)", because the definition of the self emerges through interaction. Identity becomes a social and cultural game. 

The concept of self becomes an improvisation with elements external to us, within a limited scenario, similar to the society in which we live. This "jeu (game)" of "je (me)" is at the same time our reality and an illusion. We become an illusory spectacle that continually evolves, disappears and recreates itself. 

At the same time, everything we see in this installation is ultimately a mirage, an image shaped by the interpretation of the brain and the limits of perception. I wanted to create a project of an ephemeral nature, constantly evolving, that speaks of many things while simultaneously saying nothing, like a game.

MON renews Asian exhibition in a dialog with contemporary art from that continent

"Living in harmony with impermanence", curated by Géraldine Lenain, is the new edition of the exhibition "Asia: the Earth, Men, Gods", organized by the Oscar Niemeyer Museum and on show in Room 5.

Among other novelties, the public will find immersive experiences in real time, a library of interactive videos, video installations and a "Virtual Museum" with 16 works by 12 Asian artists. In this way, MON maintains its premise of offering unique and transformative experiences to visitors.

Impermanence is one of the founding principles of Buddhist philosophy. It means that nothing is immutable. In other words, everything is constantly moving. We must therefore adapt to the inevitable changes in our environment. And consequently review our certainties, our behaviors and our habits. Impermanence is as old as time in Asia and still relevant today.

The theme takes on its full meaning in the dialogue between Fausto Godoy’s collection of classical Asian art and the works of Asian contemporary artists. Aika Videos library / Aika virtual museum / DSL Video of moving landscape / Jisoo virtual interaction / Jisoo performances illustrate this moving process. Everything is always in motion.

Living in harmony with the notion of impermanence does not mean condemning yourself to despair and depression, it means remembering daily the miracle and the beauty of this life that is offered to us. No one knows when they will leave this world. The invitation is therefore to fully savor all the blessings of existence while we still can. There is no time to waste in rejoicing and celebrating life.

The wabi-sabi Japanese concept, a pillar in Fausto’s Godoy’s collection, celebrates the beauty of imperfection and impermanence, a reflection of the cycle of life. It is a principle according to which harmony lies in naturalness and spontaneity and not in the absence of defects. Thus, asymmetry, impermanence, imbalances, incomplete shapes and breaks come to sublimate things. Wabi-sabi is the fullness that we feel when we contemplate a natural landscape, an irregular-looking terracotta bowl or even when we savor a wine that has improved over the years.

Jisoo Yoo
Interactive installation
Variable dimensions

Guerra Sino Japonesa: Capitão Asakawa Migita Toshihide (1862 – 1925)

Recipiente com inscrições do Alcorão 

"Living in harmony with impermanence", curated by Géraldine Lenain, is the new edition of the exhibition "Asia: the Land, the Men, the Gods", organized by the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON), on display in Room 5.

Luciana Casagrande Pereira, Paraná's Secretary of State for Culture, notes that the renewal of the Asian exhibition reinforces MON's commitment to offering the public a broad and diverse cultural experience. "This exhibition invites us to reflect on impermanence, transformation, and for the first time since the Asian collection arrived at MON, there will be an integration between the past and the contemporary, which should really excite the public," she says.

"The arrival of the Asian collection at MON years ago raised MON to the level of the great international museums," says the institution's director, Juliana Vosnika. The exhibition, which presents a cross-section of this collection, donated by diplomat Fausto Godoy, has already been reformulated and has toured the state of Paraná, reaching thousands of people. 

"Now, in a bold and unique way, the exhibition is being renewed, with the aim of reaching an ever wider audience, further democratizing access to this rich collection," she says. This time, MON's intention is to create a dialog between classical Asian art and contemporary artists from that continent. 

"Contemporary art seeks to show us that there can always be beauty in imperfections and processes. We're all constantly changing, and art is a path to the shifting balance that is life," says Juliana. 

How to be in harmony with impermanence is the proposal of this intervention at the Asian show. Among other new features, the public will find immersive experiences in real time, an interactive video library, a video installation and a "Virtual Museum" with 16 works by 12 Asian artists. In this way, MON maintains its premise of offering unique and transformative experiences to visitors.

"Impermanence is one of the fundamental principles of Buddhist philosophy. This means that nothing is unchanging, everything is in constant movement," says the curator. We therefore need to adapt to the inevitable changes in our environment and, consequently, review our certainties, our behaviors and our habits. "In Asia, impermanence is as old as time, and it's still relevant today," says Geraldine.

She explains that the work "My house in the air", a performance by Korean artist Jisoo Yoo, which is part of the exhibition, presents a familiar space (the house) in an ephemeral and unstable way. "In his work, uncertainty and fragility are not necessarily negative. As Buddha said, there is nothing constant except change," she says. 

The Asian contemporary intervention also presents the virtual exhibition "Like a wheel inside a wheel", curated by Martina Köppel-Yang, which brings together works that address the notion of change and impermanence. 

The works presented in the exhibition approach this subject from different angles and in different media: sculpture, photography, video and painting. The aspect of agency is more prevalent in the works of Adel Abdessemed, Chen Zhen, Shen Yuan, Tian Dexi and Zheng Guogu, while An Xiaotong, Chen Shaoxiong, Jia Aili, Jin Jiangbo, Wang Du, Wang Qingsong and Yang Jiechang address other facets, such as memory, loss and visions of harmony and beauty.

The artists represented in this show are: Adel Abdessemed, An Xiaotong, Chen Zhen, Chen Shaoxiong, Jia Aili, Jin Jiangbo, Shen Yuan, Tian Dexi, Wang Du, Wang Qingsong, Yang Jiechang and Zheng Guogu.

The interactive library brings following videos: "Jiang Nan Poem" (2005), by Qiu Anxiong, which combines traditional Chinese visuals of tree branches, birds and space, using subtle shifts between static and dynamic elements to create a temporal and spatial relationship.

"Post Pause" (2004), by Jiang Zhi, presents a poetic and dreamlike narrative set on a quiet morning in Shenzhen, mixing everyday urban life with the artist's intersection of poetics and sociology.

"Joss" (2013), by Cheng Ran, with critical-social comments on Chinese cultural globalization with a stylized critical cinema.

"Speech" (2005), by Li Songhua, features a young Chinese man reading a speech about China's glorious economic future. And finally, the video "Wing and Water - Zheng Guogu", stars contemporary Chinese artist Zheng Guogu and is directed by Felicitas Yang.

There is also the DSL Collection, with "Phantom Landscape" (2009), an animated film by Yang Yongliang, which mixes urban growth with modern life and stagnant cultural traditions.

Competed for by other institutions in Brazil and by collectors from abroad, MON's Asian collection consists of 3,000 works of art. When it arrived in 2018, there was a discussion about the definition of a new curatorial line by the Museum's cultural council. 

The Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON) is a state heritage site linked to the State Secretariat for Culture. The institution houses important references of national and international artistic production in the areas of visual arts, architecture and design, as well as large Asian and African collections. In total, the collection has approximately 14,000 works of art, housed in a space of more than 35,000 square meters, making MON the largest art museum in Latin America.

"Living in harmony with impermanence"
From November 22
Room 5
www.museuoscarniemeyer.org.br

Asia: Living in harmony with impermanence

The exhibition at Curitiba's MON reveals a completely different angle on the artist and presents some of his travel diaries in an avant-première.

Zerbini began his travel diaries in 2014. They are works in acrylic paint or watercolors. Most of the time, Luiz uses small canvases on chassis, opting instead for notebooks for his watercolors. These small works give you a direct relationship with the landscape. 

With "Cochicho", Luiz Zerbini takes us into his intimacy. He wanted the exhibition to be like a whisper, a whisper, which he addresses to the artists selected from MON's collection for the "Affinities" project, and then indirectly to the public, in a true spirit of sharing their privileged moments. 

Through 44 paintings, 11 watercolors and 12 monotypes, Luiz Zerbini opens up his secret garden to us for the first time. As in many travel diaries, Luiz titles his works simply by the places he visited or by the name of the object described. 

It was a visit to MON's collections that gave Luiz Zerbini the idea of presenting his travel diaries. There he met landscape artists he didn't know, but whose visions touched him. Luiz has always been attentive to this kind of work.

"Affinities", now in its third edition, is a subtle game in which artists are invited to draw on MON's collections and create an exhibition in which selected works from the Museum's collection echo those of the invited artists. So, in his treasure hunt, Luiz Zerbini selected five artists who responded to this close observation of nature, which is so dear to him. 

"Afinidades III - Cochicho" (Affinities III - Whispering), by Luiz Zerbini, brings to MON this delicate and intimate look at nature, creating a moment to stop and meditate.

The exhibition "Afinidades III - Cochicho" is the third edition of a project organized by the Oscar Niemeyer Museum, which began in 2021. Curated by Marc Pottier, contemporary artist Luiz Zerbini has selected works by five important names in Paraná art from MON's collection to be shown alongside his own in Room 7.

These are: Guido Viaro, Miguel Bakun, Bruno Lechowski, Guilherme William Michaud e Theodoro de Bona. In common, or by affinity, all the works presented in the exhibition have nature as their theme.

"Afinidades III - Cochicho" is much more than an exhibition. This is the third edition of an important event organized by the Oscar Niemeyer Museum, which aims to give value and visibility to its collection. 

MON is the largest art museum in Latin America. With a total area of 35,000 square meters, it houses references of national and international artistic production, with more than 14,000 works of visual arts, architecture and design. 

The collection is the heart of a museum, its most important and vital part, and it only makes sense if it reaches and interacts with people. With this project, MON facilitates a closer relationship with the public, providing new interpretations and forms and articulating a greater dialog between visitors, artists and the institution.

The " Afinidades " project began in 2021, when artists from Paraná, or with a strong connection to our state, were invited to delve into MON's collection. From there, affinities emerged between works, artists and curators.

The second edition, the following year, brought together only women artists from different regions of Brazil, who delved into the Museum's permanent collection. The female gaze of the guests gave the exhibition a great diversity of works, spanning different eras and themes. The result instigated and sensitized the viewer through different approaches.

This time, a new format has been proposed. The renowned contemporary artist Luiz Zerbini presents his paintings, watercolors and monotypes that represent travel diaries. Entitled "Cochicho", the collection takes us into his intimacy, like a whisper. 

After delving into in MON's collection, Zerbini selected works by five important names in Paraná art: Guido Viaro, Miguel Bakun, Bruno Lechowski, Guilherme William Michaud and Theodoro de Bona. 

In common, or by affinity, like his works presented here, all the works chosen have nature as their theme. The result is surprising.

Luiz Zerbini
Acrylic on canvas 
30 x 24 cm
Luiz Zerbini Studio collection

Luiz Zerbini
Acrylic on canvas 
30 x 40 cm
Luiz Zerbini Studio collection

Luiz Zerbini
Acrylic on canvas 
30 x 40 cm 
Luiz Zerbini Studio collection

MON holds the third edition of "Affinities", an initiative that brings its collection closer to the public

The exhibition “Afinidades III – Cochicho” (Affinities III - Whispering) will open on November 22, the 22nd anniversary of the Oscar Niemeyer Museum. This is the third edition of a MON project, which began in 2021. Curated by Marc Pottier, contemporary artist Luiz Zerbini has selected works by five important names in Paraná art to be presented alongside his own in Room 7.

For the Secretary of State for Culture, Luciana Casagrande Pereira, "Afinidades III - Cochicho" reinforces the Oscar Niemeyer Museum's commitment to valuing the collection from Paraná and promoting dialogues between different generations of artists. "This is a project that brings the public closer to Paraná's rich cultural heritage, as well as creating new connections based on Luiz Zerbini's view of nature and the Brazilian and Paraná landscapes," she says.

"It's much more than an exhibition. This is the third edition of an important event organized by the Oscar Niemeyer Museum, which aims to value and give visibility to its collection," explains MON's director, Juliana Vosnika. 

She recalls that the first edition of the "Affinities" project invited artists from Paraná, or with a strong connection to our state, to immerse themselves in MON's collection. "From there, affinities emerged between works, artists and curators," she says.

The second edition, in 2022, brought together only women artists from different regions of Brazil, who immersed themselves in the Museum's permanent collection. "The female gaze of the guests gave the exhibition a great diversity of works, spanning different eras and themes. The result instigated and sensitized the viewer, based on different approaches," says Juliana.

This time, Zerbini has selected works by five important names in Paraná art that are in the MON collection: Guido Viaro, Miguel Bakun, Bruno Lechowski, Guilherme William Michaud and Theodoro de Bona. "In common, or by affinity, just like their works presented here, all the works chosen have nature as their theme," explains the director. "The result is surprising."

Luiz Zerbini's work includes 44 paintings, 11 watercolors and 12 monotypes. "With these works, he takes us into his intimacy," explains curator Marc Pottier. According to him, after visiting MON's collections, the artist decided to present for the first time what he calls "travel diaries": works of his in which nature is always the main theme. 

"In MON's collection, Zerbini found landscape artists whose visions touched him," explains the curator. Pottier says that Zerbini was always attentive to this type of work, looking closely, for instance, at the mining landscapes of Guignard (1896-1962), the chromatic dialogues of the São Paulo artist Rodrigo Andrade (1962-), the seascapes of Pancetti (1902-1958), the works of the French landscape artist Corot (1796-1875) and the American artist Winslow Homer (1836-1910), known for his seascapes, among others. 

"With 'Afinidades III - Cochicho', he brings to MON this delicate and intimate look at nature, thus creating a moment to stop and meditate before it's too late," says the curator.

The artist Luiz Zerbini explains that, for him, "cochicho" is a conversation between landscape artists who have spent many hours alone, in silence, painting, looking at nature, the horizon, the mountains and the Brazilian coast. "Whispering is an opportunity to give voice to silence," he says.

Afinidades III - Cochicho

The exhibition “Alex Flemming 70 Anos” (“Alex Flemming 70 Years”), designed for the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON) in Curitiba, comprises the recurrence of portraiture in his vast production, this exhibition commemorating his 70th birthday. Historically, over the centuries, the portrait genre has evolved from a faithful representation of physical appearance to an in-depth exploration of the identity and subjectivity of the sitter. Contemporary portraiture, as seen in this exhibition, often explores identity in complex ways, touching on issues of gender, race, sexuality, social class, and culture. It stopped being a simple representation of external appearance to become a deep investigation into the complexities of human identity—a mirror of society —, reflecting its tensions, transformations, and diversities. Through innovative techniques and conceptual approaches, such as those present in the universe of Alex Flemming, the limits of the portrait and the portrayed are expanded, challenging the viewer to reconsider their perceptions about him, themselves, and others. 

Attentive to his surroundings and armed with his camera, Alex Flemming makes his everyday life his final work and rewards us with introspective contexts. In this exhibition, we present works created from 1982 to 2023 that emphasize how consistent his conception, creation, and propagation of his cultural legacy. The portraits themselves, with different techniques and supports, reveal not only formal representation but mainly the creation of a diversified and experimental work, which encompasses painting, installation, photography, and engraving. 

The theme “Retrato” (“Portrait”) was intentionally selected for this commemorative exhibition because human representation is the fundamental and seminal axis of Alex Flemming's visual research. For him, human existence is intrinsically and deeply connected to the concepts of Eros and Thanatos, originating from Freudian psychoanalysis, which represent, respectively, the forces of life and death. These forces, when applied to the interpretation of portraiture in contemporary art, can provide a compendium for depicting the tensions between destruction and creation, death and life, and pain and pleasure. The portrait, in this context, becomes a means to investigate these fundamental dualities of our human condition. This is the life cycle that Alex Flemming shares with us on the occasion of his 70th birthday: art and fascination!

The exhibition “Alex Flemming 70 Years”, held by the Oscar Niemeyer Museum, comprises more than 80 works by this internationally recognized Brazilian artist who has lived between Germany and Brazil for decades.

Curated by Tereza de Arruda and on display in Room 3, it presents works carried out from 1982 to 2023. The works, imbued with symbols and messages, invite the viewer to go beyond common sense. 

Through innovative techniques and conceptual approaches, such as those present in the universe of Alex Flemming, the limits of the portrait and the portrayed are expanded, challenging the viewer to reconsider their perceptions about the artist, themselves, and others.

The exhibition commemorating Alex Flemming's 70th birthday, several of which are dedicated to the arts, takes our audience into direct contact with the best of contemporary production. MON is a reference institution in visual arts in Brazil and worldwide. Recently, it has held many important exhibitions on the local and international scene.

Irreverent and observant, this Brazilian artist, who has lived between Germany and Brazil for years, has in his works a contemporary portrait far beyond the simple representation of what he sees. He translates his sharp and attentive vision when discussing a chaotic and multifaceted world. He addresses various social issues with the subtlety that only art allows.

The works are filled with symbols and messages that, unpretentiously, invite us to go beyond common sense. They are layers that lead to our essence. Each of them gains its meaning from the viewer’s unique perspective.

We understand that artistic work must always provoke and instigate the viewer. By staging the exhibition “Alex Flemming 70 Years”, the Oscar Niemeyer Museum proposes a reflection on human beings and society. His subjective art will certainly lead each person to their interpretations.

With the promise of always being recognized as a living and active museum, nationally and internationally, MON offers this exhibition as an opportunity for dialogue and a transformative experience for visitors.

Juliana Vellozo Almeida Vosnika
Diretora-presidente do Museu Oscar Niemeyer

Idade Plástica Identidade Plástica, 2004

Acrílica sobre tecido | Dimensões variáveis

Foto e acrílica sobre PVC | 203 x 153 cm

 MON holds new exhibition by Alex Flemming 

 The unprecedented exhibition "Alex Flemming 70 Years", the newest project of the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON), will open on August 29 in Room 3. Curated by Tereza de Arruda, the exhibition brings together more than 80 works, some of them large, by this internationally recognized Brazilian artist who has lived between Germany and Brazil for decades. 

"Alex Flemming is undoubtedly one of the greatest Brazilian artists of his generation and throughout his career he has had important connections and presences in Paraná. For us, it's an honor to present an exhibition celebrating his 70th birthday here at Oscar Niemeyer Museum," says Luciana Casagrande Pereira, Paraná's Secretary of State for Culture. 

MON's CEO, Juliana Vosnika, says that "the Alex Flemming commemorative exhibition brings our public into direct contact with the best of contemporary production". 

She comments that Alex Flemming, an artist who is always irreverent and observant, brings a contemporary portrait to his works that goes beyond the simple representation of what he sees. ''He translates his sharp and attentive vision when talking about a chaotic world full of trends. He addresses various social issues with the subtlety that only art allows," says Juliana. 

The exhibition features works from 1982 to 2023. The works, impregnated with symbols and messages, invite the viewer to go beyond common sense. They are layers that gain their own meaning from the singular gaze of each visitor. 

Through innovative techniques and conceptual approaches, such as those present in Alex Flemming's universe, the boundaries of the portrait and the portrayed are expanded, challenging the viewers to reconsider their perceptions of the artist, themselves and others. 

The exhibition brings together a variety of techniques, such as photography on glass, oil on canvas, enamel on wood, acrylic on fabric and painting on porcelain, etc. 

The theme "Portrait" was intentionally selected for this commemorative exhibition because human representation is the fundamental and seminal axis of Alex Flemming's plastic research. According to the curators, the exhibition presents the recurrence of the portrait in his vast production. 

"Historically, over the centuries, the genre of the portrait has evolved from a faithful representation of physical appearance to an in-depth exploration of the identity and subjectivity of the subject," explains Tereza de Arruda. 

"Contemporary portraiture, as can be seen in this exhibition, often explores identity in complex ways, addressing issues of gender, race, sexuality, social class and culture. 

According to the curator, "it has ceased to be a simple representation of external appearance and has become a profound investigation into the complexities of human identity - a mirror of society - reflecting its tensions, transformations and diversities". 

Alex Flemming was born in 1954 in São Paulo. He lives and works in São Paulo and Berlin. He studied Cinema at FAAP and Architecture at USP, and is self-taught in the visual arts. He made several short films in Super-8 and participated in festivals. From the late 1970s onwards, he devoted himself exclusively to the visual arts. He always creates his work in series, the first of which denounces the violence of torture in the cellars of the Brazilian military dictatorship (series ''Natureza Morta", 1978). His art is basically political and over the years he has tackled themes such as war ("Body Builders" series, 2000), September 11 ("Flying Carpets" series, 2003) or terrorism ("Apocalypse" series, 2015). Another ever-present theme is the human body, "the human being as the center of the universe", as the artist himself says, which is the focus of the exhibition "Alex Flemming 70 Years". 

Tereza de Arruda has a master's degree in Art History from the Free University of Berlin and has been following Alex Flemming's work since 1991, exhibiting his works in various shows in Brazil and abroad. Among them, the solo exhibition "Flying Carpets", held in 2005 at the Chicago Cultural Center; "Alex Flemming: Uniplanetary System", in 2008, at St. Paul's. Johannes Kirche, in Berlin and at the MAM - Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro; "Alex Flemming: Galileo Galilei", in 2011, at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Santiago, Chile, as well as the group show "Brasilidade Pós-Modernismo", held from 2021-2022, on the CCBB circuit in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília and Belo Horizonte. 

The exhibition “Alex Flemming 70 Years”, held by the Oscar Niemeyer Museum, comprises more than 80 works by this internationally recognized Brazilian artist who has lived between Germany and Brazil for decades.
Curated by Tereza de Arruda and on display in Room 3, it presents works carried out from 1982 to 2023. The works, imbued with symbols and messages, invite the viewer to go beyond common sense. 
Through innovative techniques and conceptual approaches, such as those present in the universe of Alex Flemming, the limits of the portrait and the portrayed are expanded, challenging the viewer to reconsider their perceptions about the artist, themselves, and others.

On view exhibition

Afghanistan

Tracks and Traces

Asia: the Earth, Men, Gods

Affinities III

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