Artists in Brazil's Northeast Confront Violence and Cultural Identity Through Symbolic Works
In Belém, Brazil, a group of artists tackles the alarming murder rate of 48 homicides per 100,000 through their impactful art. Armando Queiroz's 2009 video Urubu-Rei features him donning a vulture mask, representing local drug lords. Berna Reale's 2009 performance Quando Todos Calam addresses issues of feminism and objectification, while her 2012 piece Palomo imitates militarized police to highlight state violence associated with narco-trafficking. Alexandre Sequeira's collaborative project with Rafael from 2009-2010 employs folklore to express anxieties about westernization. Thiago Martins de Melo's 2013 artwork critiques Brazil's 'genocide culture.' Éder Oliveira's portraits, crafted from crime news supplements, emphasize media objectification. These creators reject European influences, resonating with Oswald de Andrade's manifestos to cultivate a unique local identity.
Key facts
- Belém has a population of 2.1 million and reported 48 homicides per 100,000 people last year
- Armando Queiroz's 2009 video Urubu-Rei features him in a vulture mask feeding fish to birds by the river
- Berna Reale's 2009 performance Quando Todos Calam involves her lying naked covered in fish flesh as vultures peck at her
- Berna Reale's 2012 performance Palomo sees her riding a blood-red horse in black protective gear through streets
- Alexandre Sequeira collaborated with a boy named Rafael between 2009 and 2010 on folklore tales of a 'burning woman' and UFOs
- Thiago Martins de Melo's 2013 painting Kwaku Ananse Revive o Karma do suplício do Bastardo da Brancura sob as Botas de Mercadores de Ferro Sujo depicts the Ghanaian god Kwaku Ananse as a spider
- Éder Oliveira creates portraits from local newspaper crime supplements that predominantly feature black suspects
- Oswald de Andrade's 1924 'Manifesto da Poesia Pau-Brasil' and 1928 'Manifesto Antropófago' influence these artists' approach to cultural identity
Entities
Artists
- Armando Queiroz
- Berna Reale
- Alexandre Sequeira
- Thiago Martins de Melo
- Éder Oliveira
- Cândido Portinari
- Oswald de Andrade
- Gunnar Kvaran
- Rafael
Institutions
- Museu Casa das Onze Janelas
- ArtReview
Locations
- Belém
- Brazil
- Amazon
- São Luís
- Ghana