Jonathas de Andrade: O Peixe at the New Museum

“Jonathas de Andrade: O Peixe” is the first solo museum presentation in the US of the work of Jonathas de Andrade (b. 1982, Maceió, Brazil), one of the most promising Brazilian artists of his generation. Over the last decade, de Andrade has developed works in photography, video, and installation that stem from observations of everyday life in Brazil and what he regards as its “urgencies and discomforts.” In particular, many of de Andrade’s works consider how Brazilian national identity and labor conditions have been constructed against a backdrop of colonialism and slavery. In his diverse examinations of Brazilian culture and history, he reinterprets the methodologies of education and the social sciences, using nuances of fiction, artifice, and appropriation to undermine assumptions and confound the sensation of truth. The exhibition showcases de Andrade’s most recent work, O peixe [The Fish] (2016), a video shot in 16 mm that follows an unusual ritual among fishermen in northeastern Brazil and offers a reflection on nature, death, and relationships of power. The exhibition is curated by Natalie Bell, Assistant Curator.