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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
st
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