Videobrasil's 21st edition Imagined Communities explores postnational identities at SESC São Paulo
The 21st Contemporary Art Biennial SESC_Videobrasil, themed Imagined Communities, took place from 9 October to 2 February at SESC 24 de Maio in São Paulo. This exhibition, which focused on artists from the global south, aimed to question nationalism through a variety of artistic expressions. Among the featured works were Domingo (2018) by Brazilian artists Paulo Mendel and Vitor Grunvald, which captured LGBTQ+ youth protesting against Michel Temer. Hrair Sarkissian's Execution Squares (2008) showcased photographs of execution sites in Syria, while Jim Denomie's O the Reservation (or Minnesota Nice) (2012) illustrated the 1862 Dakota conflict. Additional pieces included Grin (2016) by Roney Freitas and Isael Maxakali and Dark Paradise: Humans in Galapagos (2016–19) by Paul Rosero Contreras. The exhibition encountered challenges related to space that impacted the quality of audiovisual presentations.
Key facts
- 21st edition of Videobrasil titled Imagined Communities
- Ran from 9 October to 2 February at SESC 24 de Maio, São Paulo
- Focused on artists from the global south
- Featured seven indigenous artists and collectives
- Included works by Paulo Mendel, Vitor Grunvald, Hrair Sarkissian, Jim Denomie
- Roney Freitas and Isael Maxakali's film Grin about forced conscription during Brazilian dictatorship
- Exhibition occurred during Brazil's culture wars under culture secretary Roberto Alvim
- Spatial constraints affected audiovisual quality compared to previous editions
Entities
Artists
- Benedict Anderson
- Paulo Mendel
- Vitor Grunvald
- Hrair Sarkissian
- Jim Denomie
- Roney Freitas
- Isael Maxakali
- Paul Rosero Contreras
- Georges Senga
- Omar Mismar
- Carl Schmitt
- Ellie Kyungran Heo
- Roberto Alvim
- Michel Temer
Institutions
- SESC
- Videobrasil
- ArtReview
- Guarda Rural Indigena
Locations
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- Aleppo
- Latakia
- Damascus
- Syria
- Mankato
- Minnesota
- United States
- Galapagos
- Congo
- Skowhegan
- Maine
- North America
- Lebanon
- South Korea