I suppose that without some sort of unifying theme, every exhibition of artworks would be titled, simply and dully: "Art Exhibition." And so museums base their shows on a period, genre or, more recently, an intriguing turn of phrase. This I welcome, but exhibitions curated on the basis of the artists' nationality, I generally do not. We live in an era of unprecedented cultural cross-pollination, so isn't a show where the only link between participating artists is country of birth or residence more than a little out of date?
"Devotionalia" by Dias & Riedweg
I approached the Tokyo Museum of Modern Art's "Brazil: Body Nostalgia," with some apprehension. But, probably because the "Brazil-ness" of the exhibition is not at all forced, I came away feeling very satisfied. Although the show is presented by the cultural dissemination agency BrazilConnects, curator Katsuo Suzuki did not pander to stereotypes -- there are no sexy samba women here, no flashy Carnival floats, not a single football.
Although billed as a contemporary art show, three of the artists represented here are deceased, but are included, it seems, to lend some historical context to the show. Most of the others are in their late 30s through mid-40s, with the senior member being photographer Miguel Rio Branco, 57, who has contributed nine pieces.
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