Brazilian prosecutor dismisses complaint against Masp exhibition over religious offense allegations

The Ministério Público do Estado de São Paulo (MPSP) has rejected a complaint from Brazilian right-wing politician Danilo Balas regarding the Museu de Arte de São Paulo's (Masp) exhibition, La Chola Poblete: Pop Andino. Balas, affiliated with former president Jair Bolsonaro's Liberal Party, lodged the complaint on May 24, claiming it violated religious freedoms and caused offense. The exhibition, overseen by artistic director Adriano Pedrosa and assistant curator Leandro Muniz, showcases 31 pieces by Argentine artist La Chola Poblete, including 14 watercolours from the Vírgenes cholas series, previously featured at the 2024 Venice Biennale, where Poblete earned a special mention. The MPSP dismissed the complaint on June 3, citing it as "abstract conjecture" and emphasizing that prosecutors should not interfere with curatorial decisions. Masp confirmed the dismissal and continues to support the exhibition, which is available until August 2. Born in 1989 in Guaymallén, Argentina, Poblete reclaims the term "chola" in her work, addressing themes of colonial history, exoticization, and the marginalization of Indigenous and queer individuals.