Monumento by Alexandre da Cunha
Alexandre da Cunha’s practice is predominantly based on ideas of ready-made and found objects to which he gives new meaning. In recent years, da Cunha has taken these ideas to a monumental scale with commissioned works as well as public site-specific sculptures.
These large-scale installations form the core of Monumento. The book also features a number of smaller table sculptures, as well as a selection of ‘samplings’, a series of works on paper that flirt with notions of collage, appropriation and public space.
The design concept was to organise Monumento as a magazine rather than a book. Inspired by fashion magazines, the sculptures are presented as attractive objects seen from different angles, focusing on the environment of the work. The book opens with two sticker sheets featuring da Cunha’s sculptures as small figurines for collectors of all ages. The magazine inspiration is also used as a guide through the editing and sequencing, with the main chapters of the book based on the geographical location of the works.
The typeface Similar is used throughout the book, an almost archetypal sans serif with its underlying character and unexpected details, an allusion to the work of da Cunha. Monumento includes an essay by Fernanda Brenner and a conversation between da Cunha, Phillip King and Jenni Lomax.
The publication was edited by Maria M. P. de Pontes and co-published by Revolver Publishing, Berlin and Cobogó, Rio de Janeiro.
