Mirroring the exhibition’s entrance, the book opens with a selection of quotes from various authors and periods, introducing the reader to the multiple and contradictory facets of Brazil. This is followed by an essay by José Miguel Wisnik, general curator, who analyses the foundations of the country’s social and cultural relations and the many creative languages that make up Brazilian identity.

In the following text, journalist and writer Eliane Brum reflects on the tragic deforestation of the Amazon and the role of colonialism in this catastrophe. Guilherme Wisnik, assistant curator, analyses Brazilian modernity, the historical emergence of Brasília and the dichotomy between the public and private spheres.

Milena Britto, assistant curator, addresses a set of works related to the indigenous revival, blackness, the artistic avant-garde, the production of women artists, and cultural manifestations in the streets, forests, and favelas. Finally, Rafael Xucuru-Kariri and Suzane Lima Costa analyse the struggles for territorial recovery and for the reappropriation and reinterpretation of object-entities, such as the Tupinambá cloaks.

The book also includes a selection of images of the works on display.