Paul Nazareth. algebra

About the Exhibition

This exhibition is a large-scale solo show by Brazilian artist Paulo Nazareth; its title, 'Algebra,' derives from the Arabic 'al-jabr,' symbolizing the process of mending what has been fractured. It is interpreted as a methodology for healing historical wounds and reconstructing what has been divided. The exhibition takes place across the upper floors of the Palazzo Grassi and the Punta della Dogana, spanning more than 20 years of artistic practice and including previously unseen works. Rather than following a chronological or thematic order, it maintains a continuous flow, intensively presenting the artist's ongoing art-as-life practice. Notably, the Palazzo Grassi's exhibition space was once a place where goods were calculated and recorded, and the exhibition explores what that system of calculation ignored. Following a line of salt laid through the exhibition space, visitors can discover the geometric form of a 'tumbeiro' slave ship revealed within it — one of the exhibition's key highlights.