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ENGLISH VERSION RETROSPECTIVES

is fundamental.” Botner talks about so exhibition rio de janeiro [pages 70 to 73] black production, and with two curators very
many triggers that they have to activate by TRAUMAS OF THE engaged in this debate: Marcelo Campos
maneuvering art. “When we debuted Abre is assistant curator of the exhibition of the
Alas, 19 years ago, we thought it would just SLAVERY REGIME Brazils, on display at Sesc Belenzinho, as
be an event, I didn’t even think there would ARE ADDRESSED IN A well as chief curator at the Rio Art Museum;
be continuity, I don’t think Laura nor Neto HOLLYWOOD SCENARIO while Filipe Graciano is the creator of the
did.” When Gentil reached its third year, Museum of Black Memory, in Petrópolis,
some artists were already announcing: “I’m Exhibition with 12 black artists, ‘An ocean and coordinator of the Promotion of Racial
preparing work for Abre Alas”. It was the to wash your hands’ opens Centro Cultural Equality in the municipality.
artists who decided to continue the project, Sesc Quitandinha, in Petrópolis The first room of the exhibition, despite
it was almost an imposition, they realized by fabio cypriano the space not being exactly linear, is
that people believed that the project was occupied by Ayrson Heráclito with one of his
here to stay, just like the gallery. “One In the spacious halls in Hollywood rococo most iconic works, the diptych The shaking
day Neto and I went to the opening of an style, which look like the scene of a musical of the Tower House e The Shaking of the
exhibition at the Centro Hélio Oiticica, by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, 12 black Maison des Esclaves in Gorée (2015). In them,
which is close to Gentil, suddenly an angry artists address the trauma of slavery during performative actions of “shaking” exorcise
artist came to us and complained that the navigation period, in the exhibition An two historic buildings, located on opposite
he was not invited to exhibit at the next ocean to wash your hands, curated by banks of the Atlantic Ocean, of their colonial
exhibition that was going to be opened. Marcelo Campos and Filipe Graciano. and slavery past. Also participating in the
“The atmosphere became unpleasant and The exhibition inaugurates the Sesc exhibition are Arjan Martins, Azizi Cypriano,
Neto, brilliant, had a way out, I told him Quitandinha Cultural Center, in Petrópolis Cipriano, Juliana dos Santos, Lidia Lisbôa,
that if he wanted to exhibit there was an (rj), with an exhibition area of around 3 Moisés Patrício, Nádia Taquary, Rosana
external wall of the gallery, which we call thousand square meters, which operates Paulino, Thiago Costa and Tiago Sant’ana.
a pool. Go there, take the work and put on the ground floor of the building with a
it on the wall yourself and if anyone else Norman-French style exterior. report lage collection [pages 74 to 77]
wants to participate, that’s fine.” When Built in 1944 to be the largest casino hotel
Botner went to see it, there were more in South America, Palácio Quitandinha ACERVO DA LAJE
than 30 works by various artists. “That’s did not last long in its main function, as GAINS VISIBILITY
it, we have to listen to the artist and use President Dutra, in 1946, banned gambling FOR PERIPHERAL
this in the best way so that the concepts in the country, making life difficult for the
gain more strength.” hotel itself, which closed in 1962. your doors. PRODUCTION
Among the projects he highlights is Transformed into a luxury condominium, the Museum-house-school of the Railway
the Camisa Educação Project. In short: social areas are currently managed by Sesc. Suburb of Salvador, present in five
each artist who exhibits at Gentil creates a For the exhibition, the largest space in important exhibitions in the last two years,
shirt with the word education on it, for the Quitandinha, where the casino’s gaming it even designs works that were discarded
by their authors
opening day and with that, a large collection room was located, is occupied by an
has already been created. Among other immense installation with six canvases by fabio cypriano
projects, there is what can be called the by Aline Motta, which, as is her custom,
“hard core” of the gallery’s concept, Alalaô, starts from family memories to address present in at least five recent
defined as public art that enhances the questions about identity and the Afro- exhibitions, three of which are still on
streets, and which takes place on Arpoador Atlantic condition. display, the Bahian Acervo da Laje is
beach in Rio. The room has in the central area a one of the most original initiatives in the
I ask where all this production goes. vault 18 meters above the floor, made to country’s art and culture circuit. He’s on
Without modesty, Botner says that since reverberate the sound of chips and ice in show Rehearsals for the Museum of Origins,
the beginning of Gentil they have been the glasses of Rio’s then elite. Now it has at the Tomie Ohtake Institute and at Itaú
invited to major international fairs. “The become a space for reflection on social Cultural, in of the Brazils, at Sesc Belenzinho,
fairs represent a lot for Gentil, meeting issues that many of those who set foot and Cesar Bahia, at the Rio Art Museum
with curators, artists, museum directors. In there must have had direct responsibility (mar), in addition to having participated in
these 20 years there have been times when for the structural racism that continues in Memory is an Invention, at the Rio Museum
I was very tired.” Of these major events the country. Or more precisely, as Campos of Modern Art (mam Rio), and The Parable
he also mentions the São Paulo Biennial, points out, “the way black artists deal with of Progress at Sesc Pompeia, both last year.
which in his opinion represents a lot for all the navigation period”. Created in 2010 by educators Vilma
artists who always learn something and for According to the curator, the exhibition Santos and José Eduardo Ferreira dos
Brazilians too, throughout the history of the also seeks to “rethink Petrópolis”, known Santos, the Acervo da Laje brings together,
institution which is the second oldest in the for being the imperial city, since during the in two houses purchased by the couple, a
world (1951) , second only to Venice (1895). summer it was there that D. Pedro 2º lived, collection of hundreds of works that were
“We cannot forget that Picasso’s Guernica thus becoming the capital of the country. donated by the artists or their friends, many
was already exhibited here”, in its second At the same time, the region was home to of which were also found for disposal. As the
edition (1953/1954)”. Gentil Carioca has several quilombos, including Tapera, in first house was on a slab, the name comes
played an empirical role since the day that Vale das Videiras, a quilombola community from this situation.
Botner, Neto and Laura Lima, sitting in a recognized by the Palmares Foundation It all started with research based on
bar, eating fried sardines and drinking beer, in 2011. At least three other quilombos are José Eduardo’s doctorate in Public Health.
decided to invent a different gallery and known in the area. His advisor, Gey Espinheira (1946-2009),
arrived at this model that is the face of Rio, Therefore, it is notable that the inauguration encouraged him to study the beauty of
“and the world”, concludes Botner. of the cultural center observes these the Railway Suburb. “Together with Vilma
traumas of Brazilian society from current and the photographer Marco Illuminati we
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