DOUGLAS GORDON, MIROSLAW BALKA, RUI CHAFES: E PLURIBUS UNUM: CURATED BY ALEXANDRE MELLO

Galeria Marília Razuk presents E Pluribus Unum, an exhibition organized by Alexandre Melo, Portuguese curator and art critic. Inaugurating on May 13th, the exhibition will display six new sculptures in iron by Portuguese artist Rui Chafes, three sculptures by Polish artist Miroslaw Balka and ten photographs by Turner Prize-winning Scottish artist Douglas Gordon.

Melo’s proposed concept involves the question of unity versus diversity, alluding to the recent debates on multiculturalism and cultural globalization. In today’s world, Brazil’s social reality actually constitutes an important example of the relevance of this theme’s various dimensions.

The Latin expression E Pluribus Unum can be translated as From all, one, opening the doors to phrases such as: One for all and all for one, One is many and many are one or The individual is multiple and multiplicity is singular.

The origin of the phrase lies in Moretum, the poem by Virgil. In it, the sentence colorest e pluribus unus describes the mixing of colors to produce a single one. This saying was widely known among the 18th century literary circles in North America and was later adopted by the committee for the Great Seal of the United States, which was tasked with creating a symbol that characterized the United States ofAmerica after its declaration of independence. In this context, E Pluribus Unum, captured the integration of the original 13 states into a single State.

E Pluribus Unum will run from May 13th to July 4th.