From the studio of artist Alex Cerveny in São Paulo in Brazil, we unveil the making of the work Mondo Reale: stop, look and listen, part of the exhibition Mondo Reale, curated by Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain for the 23rd International Exhibition Unknown Unknowns. An Introduction to Mysteries.

Alex Cerveny’s work for Mondo Reale is an invitation to take the time to stop, look and listen to the multitude of creatures populating both reality and fiction. Many subjects intertwine in this painting, starting with the frieze, which depicts a parade of characters and a list of artists’ names. From waste or from leftovers, written language rises like smoke over the landscape in the form of writing or simple literacy of names and phrases compiled from everyday life. Alex Cerveny’s work alludes to a fantastic world in which biblical and mythological characters, fauna, flora and surreal landscapes mingle. The relationship with the text, with narratives from all times from antiquity to soap operas and with the body is also present in his paintings. Alex Cerveny’s meticulous compositions encompass biblical, mythological, autobiographical and pop culture references, usually followed by texts, which often take the form of his personal glossaries. Genealogies interact with a personal and collective mythology, which make us wonder in astonishment and curiosity.