Rivane Neuenschwander's 'O Alienista' Exhibition Uses Machado de Assis to Critique Contemporary Brazil
Rivane Neuenschwander's exhibition 'O Alienista' at Galeria Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel in São Paulo, running until 18 May, transposes Machado de Assis's 1882 tale to 2019, using caricature to question national sanity. The show features twenty papier-mâché puppets created with her children Theo and Hannah, representing figures like 'O Militar' as a green dragon and 'O juiz de fora' as a rat alluding to Sergio Moro. It avoids direct judgment through humor and an almost naive aesthetic. Two other series complete the exhibition: 'Trópicos Malditos, Gozosos e Devotos' blends Japanese shunga with cordel literature to address rape as Brazil's foundational violence, while 'Assombrados' incorporates children's fears from 2017 workshops at the Museu de Arte do Rio, depicting bullets, hunger, and assault. Neuenschwander employs lightness and beauty to reveal a culture she describes as fascist, violent, and ignorant, framing Brazil as a contemporary Itaguaí where figures like Olavo de Carvalho and Damares Alves raise doubts about collective sanity.
Key facts
- Rivane Neuenschwander's exhibition 'O Alienista' is on view until 18 May at Galeria Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel in São Paulo.
- The show transposes Machado de Assis's 1882 tale 'O Alienista' to critique contemporary Brazilian society.
- It features twenty caricatured puppets made from papier-mâché, glass bottles, and other materials in collaboration with her children Theo and Hannah.
- Figures include 'O Militar' depicted as a green dragon and 'O juiz de fora' as a rat referencing Sergio Moro.
- The exhibition includes the series 'Trópicos Malditos, Gozosos e Devotos', which mixes Japanese shunga with cordel literature to address rape.
- Another series, 'Assombrados', uses fabric paintings incorporating children's fears from 2017 workshops at the Museu de Arte do Rio.
- Neuenschwander uses humor and a naive aesthetic to avoid direct judgment while critiquing a culture she calls fascist, violent, and ignorant.
- The artist suggests Brazil has become a modern Itaguaí, with figures like Olavo de Carvalho and Damares Alves symbolizing national insanity.
Entities
Artists
- Rivane Neuenschwander
- Machado de Assis
- Simão Bacamarte
- Olavo de Carvalho
- Damares Alves
- Sergio Moro
- Theo
- Hannah
Institutions
- Galeria Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel
- Museu de Arte do Rio
Locations
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- Itaguaí