Paço das Artes Examines Brazil's Military Dictatorship Through Young Artists' Eyes

The exhibition Estado(s) de Emergência, curated by Priscila Arantes and Diego Matos for Paço das Artes, explores how a generation born after Brazil's 1960s-80s military dictatorship perceives that period. On view at the Oficina Cultural Oswald de Andrade in São Paulo's Bom Retiro neighborhood, the show features artists like Lais Myrrha, Daniel Jablonski, Rafael Pagatini, and Romy Pocztaruk. Many have previously participated in Paço das Artes' annual Temporada de Projetos. Curator Diego Matos notes a rise in younger artists addressing the dictatorship since 2013, attributing it to institutional crises and increased transparency from government archives, including those of the Comissão Nacional da Verdade. Artist Daniel Jablonski presents Diante do Aparelho (2016), a work honoring hideouts used by persecuted militants. Filmmaker Fernanda Pessoa screens Histórias que o nosso cinema (não) contava, a montage of 1970s popular films reflecting the era. The exhibition marks Paço das Artes' final show before moving to a new permanent home at the Casarão Nhônhô Magalhães in Higienópolis, granted by the Governo do Estado de São Paulo. An inaugural exhibition by Regina Silveira will mark the new venue. Curator Priscila Arantes describes the institution's focus on art that "works on the edges" and resists market pressures.