Instituto Tomie Ohtake hosts debate on AI-5's legacy and Brazil's authoritarian past

A late October gathering at Instituto Tomie Ohtake examined the enduring impact of Brazil's Institutional Act No. 5, connecting the 1968 decree to contemporary political repression. The event coincided with the exhibition 'AI-5 – Ainda não terminou de acabar,' which closed on November 4. Participants, including students, artists, critics, and editors, unanimously identified historical silence as a primary factor enabling the resurgence of repressive policies. This collective diagnosis echoed themes from the earlier exhibition 'Osso,' also curated by Paulo Miyada at the same venue. Discussions highlighted how negotiated amnesia in Brazil contrasts with accountability processes in Argentina and Chile, where military figures faced prosecution. The debate underscored the vital role of art and memorials, like the Memorial da Resistência in São Paulo and Nuno Ramos's proposed project for Buenos Aires's Parque de la Memoria, in confronting state violence. Nuno Ramos, known for works addressing social violence like '111' about the 1992 Carandiru massacre, has recently produced a trilogy of performances titled 'Aosvivos' available online. The conversation also revisited two unrealized historical projects: Mario Pedrosa's 1978 plan for a restructured Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro and Aracy Amaral's attempt to reorient the São Paulo Biennial into a Latin American hub.