Sandra Benites resigns from MASP over censorship dispute involving Landless Workers Movement photographs
Sandra Benites, who made history as the first indigenous curator at a prominent Brazilian institution, has stepped down from her role at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP) due to a conflict over censorship related to the upcoming exhibition Histórias Brasileiras, set to open on 1 July. Alongside co-curator Clarissa Diniz, Benites resigned after the museum rejected the inclusion of photographs from the Landless Workers Movement (MST), feeling 'wronged and disrespected' by the choice. MASP asserted that all artworks required prior approval, despite Benites and Diniz only being appointed in mid-January. Benites, a member of the Guaraní Ñandeva community, joined MASP in 2019. The exhibition Histórias Brasileiras will showcase over three hundred artists, while an indigenous-centric exhibition, Histórias indígenas, is scheduled for 2023 without an indigenous curator.
Key facts
- Sandra Benites resigned from her adjunct curator position at Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP)
- Benites is the first indigenous curator at a major Brazilian institution
- The resignation stems from a censorship dispute over photographs of the Landless Workers Movement (MST)
- Benites and co-curator Clarissa Diniz recused themselves from the Histórias Brasileiras exhibition
- MASP leadership vetoed inclusion of MST photographs in the exhibition
- The exhibition Histórias Brasileiras opens on 1 July
- Benites was hired by MASP in 2019 with significant publicity
- Histórias Brasileiras features over three hundred artists and is part of a series that began in 2017
Entities
Artists
- Sandra Benites
- Clarissa Diniz
- Adriano Pedrosa
Institutions
- Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP)
- Landless Workers Movement (MST)
Locations
- São Paulo
- Brazil