Pinacoteca de São Paulo rehang confronts Brazil's political climate and institutional history
Under the leadership of Jochen Volz, Pinacoteca de São Paulo has reorganized its collection thematically to tackle social issues, including the dictatorship in Brazil from 1964 to 1985. The exhibition spans nineteen galleries, showcasing pieces such as 'Revolta' by Claudio Tozzi and 'Glu…Glu…Glu...' by Anna Maria Maiolino, which critique violence against marginalized groups. Historic works, including Antonio Ferrigno's 'Mulata Quitandeira' alongside Claudia Andujar's Yanomami photograph, and Candido Portinari's 'Mestiço' paired with contemporary art, challenge racial fetishization. This initiative reflects the current political environment under President Jair Bolsonaro, who assumed office in 2019, and features artists like Tarsila do Amaral, exploring themes of identity and colonization.
Key facts
- Pinacoteca de São Paulo rehung its collection with thematic galleries addressing political issues
- Director Jochen Volz implemented the rehang in the museum's downtown São Paulo location
- The opening room focuses on Brazil's 1964–85 dictatorship era with works from the 1960s
- The rehang responds to Brazil's political climate under President Jair Bolsonaro since 2019
- Museum of Art of São Paulo (MASP) under Adriano Pedrosa has similar politically engaged programming
- The rehang includes previously stored works and critiques institutional complicity in oppression
- Sidney Amaral's 2016 self-portrait 'Imolação' appears in a salon of nineteenth-century white portraits
- The museum juxtaposes colonial-era works with contemporary critiques of racial fetishization
Entities
Artists
- Adriano Pedrosa
- Jochen Volz
- Claudio Tozzi
- Anna Maria Maiolino
- Tomoshige Kusuno
- Nelson Leirner
- Antonio Manuel
- Antonio Parreiras
- José Antônio da Silva
- Tarsila do Amaral
- Eleonore Koch
- Antonio Ferrigno
- Claudia Andujar
- Raymond Monvoisin
- Candido Portinari
- Jonathas de Andrade
- Paulo Nazareth
- Sidney Amaral
- Jair Bolsonaro
- Dom Pedro II
Institutions
- Pinacoteca de São Paulo
- Museum of Art of São Paulo (MASP)
- ArtReview
Locations
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- Brasilia
- Amazon
- Arizona
- Italy
- Japan
- France