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ART VERSUS IGNORANCE ENGLISH VERSION

             The brief and memorable speech of Krenak is shown in a video   urgency of those issues in times of constant attacks to rights
             of little more than three minutes in the exhibition Adornos do   of these people in Brazil. “No wonder that the exhibition has
             Brasil Indígena: Resistências Contemporâneas, at Sesc Pinheiros   this character of resistance,” said Dos Anjos. All artwork and
             until January 8, 2017. The exhibition was created in a partnership  ornaments address the issue, but the exhibition also has three
             between Sesc and MAE (Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology  videos that show it in a more enlightening way. They present
             of USP) and its curation is shared between Moacir dos Anjos   both relevant aspects of indigenous culture and news about
             and the museum team. It presents dialogues among ornaments  the situation, such as those about the struggle of the Guarani
             from different periods and works of important contemporary   Kaiowá people, one of the most assaulted in the country.
             artists. Grounded in the perception of adornment as an element   “Actually, the choice of the path of economic development in
             of resistance and struggle for identity - not only as an object   Brazil conflicts with the very existence of indigenous territories
             of embellishment - the exhibition proposes a dialogue between   and, thus, with the existence of indigenous peoples. Their
             the ethnological collection of MAE and the production of artists   existence conflicts with this development model founded in
             who, even without indigenous origin, deal with issues dear to   agribusiness, mining and agricultural production for export
             these peoples. “The idea is not to put a universe that is symbolic   that, in the limit, will pass over territories and indigenous
             or reduced to another one. Contemporary artists are not there   rights,” said the curator.
             simply to mirror issues brought by indigenous artifacts, or to   Dos Anjos also claims that, despite the growing debate in the
             make a completely parallel speech, away from the collection. Our   contemporary art world, the discussion is still minor considering
             attempt was to create an exhibition where these two universes   the severity of the situation. “You can count on your fingers
             are coexisting in the same space and creating approximation,   those in the universe of the recognized artists who deal with
             distance, friction, reception and tension, always emphasizing   this issue. We are still far from having this subject posed with
             the issue of resistance”, said Dos Anjos.           the prominence it should.” Exhibitions such as A Queda do
             It includes works of Ailton Krenak, Anna Bella Geiger, Bené   Céu (Paço das Artes, 2015), Variações do Corpo Selvagem:
             Fonteles, Carlos Vergara, Claudia Andujar, Delson Uchôa,   Eduardo Viveiros de Castro (Sesc Ipiranga, 2015), Histórias
             Fred Jordão, Lygia Pape, Nunca, Paulo Nazareth and Thiago   Mestiças (Instituto Tomie Ohtake, 2015), as well as of the last
             Martins de Melo, with photographs, paintings, videos and                                            nd
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             drawings - and ornaments and artifacts of 23 indigenous   two editions of Bienal de São Paulo (the 31 , in 2014, and the 32 ,
             Brazilian peoples - from the Southern Guarani to the Northen   currently), as well as Adornos do Brasil Indígena: Resistências
             Yanomami, from Northeastern Canela to Central-Western   Contemporâneas, are some of these exhibitions that have given
             Bororo. They are divided in three axes: the body as support   visibility to the indigenous agenda, either through the works
             of resistance; testimonies of resistance; celebrations as   of these peoples or of contemporary artists.
             resistance. According to the curator, the exhibition also helps   “It’s important to emphasize that the production of these artists
             breaking naturalized and rigid ideas and thoughts when it puts   may not want to speak on behalf of those who suffer violence,
             native and contemporary works side by side. “The concept   because to do that would mean appropriation of someone’s
             of art, as well as the aesthetics, is strange to the indigenous   pain. This person has to have the possibility to announce their
             production. In that sense, we have to be very careful when   own speech, their own narrative,” said Dos Anjos. “So, I think it’s
             we treat these issues. Therefore, when we put contemporary   crucial to consider the self-representation of excluded people,
             art and ornaments together, we can start to understand that   but it’s also important to highlight a production that aims to
             these concepts are not natural, they are built. It also helps us   write questions about them. In the art world, one that has little
             to question why something is considered art and another is   space to talk about exclusion, inequality, racism, homophobia,
             not, for example. Or even to think if it’s possible to establish   sexism and genocide of indigenous populations, I am interested
             other forms or concepts in which these things are gathered.   to talk about these counter-hegemonic strategies. And these
             That is, how is it possible to understand a photographic work   bonds of solidarity that have been drawn up between artists
             and a body painting in the same conceptual level?”, said Dos   and the victims of these exclusionary processes in Brazil
             Anjos “On the other hand, care must be taken not to treat it as  include misunderstandings and conflicts, of course, but they
             if it were all the same thing, As if everything could be reduced   are important for those ‘marginalized’ to reach the necessary
             to an art or an artifact concept.”                  recognition and  demand what it’s right. Mentioning once more
             According to the curator, the speech of Ailton Krenak presented   Krenak’s speech, made in 1987 and still so current, Dos Anjos
             in the video has a special place in the ehxibition because it is more   conclude: “And I think the key in this speech, as well as in the
             than a political speech. “It’s very interesting to notice how that   whole exhibition, is the defense of diversity. Several subjects
             speech is made, because is just at the limit between the indigenous  in the world have the right to speak and to be heard, to live the
             resistance and performance art.” It’s also one of the works that   way they choose to and to be respected in this way”.
             explain the importance of listening to and learning from indigenous
             peoples. “Amerindian populations can teach us to live in the future   1 | PHOTO BY DE PAULO NAZARETH FROM THE GENOCIDE IN AMERICA (2012-2015) SERIES
             because already have been through to the end of the world”, said
             Dos Anjos, referring to concepts discussed by anthropologistas   2 | AILTON KRENAK SPEAKS AT NATIONAL CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY, 1987
             such as Eduardo Viveiros de Castro. “I mean, their world already
             fell. Therefore they learned to live after a massacre, so to speak,   3 | ABOVE, A WAUJÁ TIARA; BELLOW, YANOMAMI EARRINGS; NEXT, A TICUNA MASK,
             one they suffered when they were colonized. They’re living in the   PIECES FROM THE MAE/USP COLLECION
             ‘post-end to of the world’ and created ways to adapt themselves
             to this situation and also to inscribe themselves in this post-  Adornos do Brasil Indígena: Resistências Contemporâneas
             apocalyptic world. So we have a lot to learn from Indigenous   Until January 8
             people, as in the way the live, preserve, etc”
             Dos  Anjos  believes  that  the  growing  attention  given  by   Sesc Pinheiros
             contemporary art to indigenous issues - something remarkable   Paes Leme St., 195, São Paulo, SP
             in exhibitions, biennials and works of artists - is related to the   55 11 3095 9400








         INGLES_205X275_New_Ed 37 2.indd   12                                                                   11/21/16   8:46 PM
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