Monograph and Installation 18chapas Emmanuel Nassar

Emmanuel Nassar, who forges dialogues between art history references and the aesthetic valuation of everyday materials often considered disposable, celebrates his acclaimed career with a new installation and the launch of his monographic book on November 12, 2025. This event coincides with COP30—the United Nations Climate Change Conference—being hosted for the first time in Belém do Pará, the artist's hometown.

The publication, conceived by the Instituto TeArt, co-published with Cosac, and in partnership with Allos, constitutes the most comprehensive volume dedicated to Nassar’s work to date. The new installation, 18chapas, was created specifically to occupy the Boulevard Shopping Belém for the launch, which will feature a series of activations, including lectures, panel discussions, and events throughout November.

The multiple readings of Nassar’s work are guided by cartographic propositions that intentionally challenge the observer, navigating between the satire of the geometric canon and the manipulation of erudite lines. In the Amazon, the artist observes contemporary movements from his unique perspective, incorporating indigenous techniques and Baroque illusionism. He confronts the contemporary art market resolutely, embracing the notion that his artistic concept is read and consumed as a brand, making the alignment with Pop Art and market dynamics structural elements of his work.

The artist consciously adapted premises from a different society, such as the North American one, to his own conditions. The reuse of discarded materials, like scrap metal sheets bearing subtle pictorial interventions, invites viewers to perceive how materials can gain new life, be replenished with meaning, and be observed through critical, aesthetic, sociopolitical, and environmental perspectives.

"Nassar's work is precisely situated in this dynamic of ambivalence: in the re-operation of international references, such as US-based Pop Art, and in the reinforcement of recurring regional images and narratives (tapioca stands, fruits, house facades, açaí sale signs, metal sieves, vivid colors, marked geometry, and the most diverse types of collected and repurposed materials)," affirms Mateus Nunes.

The Monograph

The 400-page publication introduces Nassar’s work to the general public in a richly illustrated edition. It features rigorously researched historical and critical essays on his production authored by writer and curator Mateus Nunes (volume organizer) and researchers Pollyana Quintella and Raphael Fonseca; in addition to an updated critical chronology by Thierry Freitas and the reprinting of a historical essay by Ligia Canongia. The design is by Raul Loureiro.

Following the Belém launch, the publication will be released in São Paulo and will feature a conversation between the artist and Mateus Nunes on December 9th at Livraria da Travessa, Shopping Villa Lobos.

The Installation 18chapas

The large-scale installation 18chapas (2024–2025), conceived especially for the book launch at Boulevard Shopping Belém, is composed of 18 pieces, each measuring 90 x 90 cm. While each can be understood as an autonomous work, similar to a canvas, together they form a large installation that satirizes the modular notion of the grid, so central to Cartesian thought and modern art. Scrap plates bearing recognizable symbols are thus elevated to an artistic level through intellectual operations, dialogues with art history references, and the aesthetic valuation found in the everyday, in what is usually rejected.

The project includes the production of educational material for schools and visiting the public, aiming to expand the initiative's educational and reflective reach. Throughout November, Boulevard Shopping Belém will offer a series of special activities, including a lecture on sustainability and environmental management on November 18th at 7 PM, featuring environmental engineer Izabella Gomes. The event takes place at the 18chapas installation space, in Lounge 2. On November 15th, 22nd, 29th, and 30th at 5 PM, the artist will hold book-signing sessions for the educational material in the same location.