Tarsila do Amaral's First U.S. Retrospective at MoMA Sparks Debate on Modernism and Cultural Appropriation
'Tarsila do Amaral: Inventing Modern Art in Brazil,' the first U.S. exhibition dedicated to the artist, is currently on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York following its presentation at the Art Institute of Chicago. The exhibit highlights over 100 works from the 1920s, including notable pieces like 'A Negra' (1923), 'Abaporu' (1928), and 'Antropofagia' (1929). Critiques have emerged regarding the exhibition's title and its formalist perspective, with historian Ana Avelar suggesting it misappropriates Latin American stories. The show reignites discussions about Tarsila's association with the Antropofagia movement, founded by her husband Oswald de Andrade. Curator Luis Pérez-Oramas asserts that Brazilian Modernism commenced after the 1922 Modern Art Week, while Tarsila's later works and the issue of cultural appropriation remain unaddressed.
Key facts
- Tarsila do Amaral's first U.S. retrospective is at MoMA New York after showing at the Art Institute of Chicago.
- The exhibition focuses on her 1920s work, featuring over 100 paintings, drawings, and documents.
- Key works include 'A Negra' (1923), 'Abaporu' (1928), and 'Antropofagia' (1929).
- The Antropofagia movement was formally launched in 1928 by Oswald de Andrade after he saw 'Abaporu.'
- Curator Luis Pérez-Oramas argues Brazilian Modernism began after the 1922 Modern Art Week.
- Historian Ana Avelar criticizes the show as an example of MoMA appropriating Latin American narratives.
- The exhibition has been criticized for a formalist approach that ignores Tarsila's later, politicized work.
- Tarsila do Amaral denied being a student of Fernand Léger in a 1972 interview with Veja magazine.
Entities
Artists
- Tarsila do Amaral
- Oswald de Andrade
- Anita Malfatti
- Lasar Segall
- Mário da Silva Brito
- Aracy Amaral
- Ana Avelar
- Mario de Andrade
- André Lhote
- Albert Gleizes
- Fernand Léger
- Sérgio Milliet
- Paulo Herkenhoff
- Luis Pérez-Oramas
- Gustavo von Ha
Institutions
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Revista Veja
- MAC USP
- Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo
- Museu de Arte do Rio
- Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Chicago
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- Paris
- France
- União Soviética