Pai contra mãe: Interseções—diálogos entre a arte contemporânea e a literatura: Instituto Inclusartiz

Marcía Falcão's solo exhibition Pai contre mae: Interseções—diálogos entre a arte contemporânea e a literatura, at Instituto Inclusartiz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

The institution's press release follows:

On March 23rd, Instituto Inclusartiz presents to the public the project Interseções—diálogos entre a arte contemporânea e a literatura. Curated by Victor Gorgulho, Chief Curator of the institution, this first edition of the initiative features solo exhibitions by Dalton Paula (Brasília, 1982) and Márcia Falcão (Rio de Janeiro, 1985), visual artists whose works not only engage with the literary field but also converse with each other.

On the opening day of the exhibitions, at 7 pm, there will also be the launch of the book  Dalton Paula: The Soul Kidnapper , published by Editora Cobogó. The publication brings together works by the Brasília-based artist accompanied by texts by anthropologist Lilia Moritz Schwarcz about his production and work processes. To mark the launch in Rio de Janeiro, a panel discussion will be held between Dalton Paula and Márcia Falcão, moderated by curator Keyna Eleison.

Interseções—diálogos entre a arte contemporânea e a literatura reinforces the interdisciplinary vocation that runs through the various activities of the Inclusartiz Institute. Since its definitive inauguration last year, the cultural center has been developing a multidisciplinary and hybrid program, bringing together everything from its traditional Artistic Residency and Research Program – underway since 2014 – to an exhibition program that highlights the far-reaching nature of the institute's initiatives.

“From the mansion to Praça da Harmonia, from its headquarters in Rio de Janeiro to many other cities around the world, Inclusartiz continues to carry, in its essence, a latent desire to foster culture, not only in the contemporary art circuit but, far beyond, seeking to reach territories of friction and approximation between the visual arts and other languages, such as theater, music, dance and, in the present project, literature,” says Victor Gorgulho.

Two solo exhibitions inaugurate Interseções:  “A abertura dos olhos” (The Opening of the Eyes), by Dalton Paula, in the first room of the exhibition space on the first floor, and “Pai contra mãe” (Father Against Mother), by Márcia Falcão, which occupies the next room, so that the autonomy of the exhibitions and the works of each artist is respected, even though there are numerous points of intersection and connection between the production of both.

“The Opening of the Eyes” brings together some of Dalton Paula's earliest artistic experiments, from a point in his career where photo-performance and the use of video profoundly influenced his practice, creating performative acts sometimes for a static camera and sometimes for audiovisual purposes. Among the works on display are some of the artist's first forays into these fields, still far from producing in the field of painting, for example – whether on canvas or on supports such as books or clay bowls, plates and vases commonly used in Candomblé religious ceremonies, for example, in addition to their everyday functionality as plates for eating.

In these works, already distant from the artist's current production, we can witness the peculiar moment in which Dalton portrayed his own body – or the black body in general – with his face and eyes usually blindfolded, closed, or even covered by some object or apparatus. A second group of works – three paintings from his famous series "Brazilian Portraits," in which he paints the faces of historical black leaders of Brazil – reveal the opening of the eyes of these figures, whose memories were erased by traditional historiography and are, today, rewritten in the delicate and powerful work of the artist.

In another room, the complete set of paintings produced by Rio de Janeiro artist Márcia Falcão especially for the new edition of the short story “Pai Contra Mãe” (Father Against Mother), by Machado de Assis, recently published by Editora Cobogó, will be presented. Written in 1906, the work, one of the author's most brilliant, paints a harsh portrait of Brazilian society of his time. By presenting the character Cândido Neves, who “succumbed to poverty when he acquired the profession of catching runaway slaves,” Machado de Assis starkly exposes the misery and violence experienced by Black and poor people in Brazil. For journalist Tiago Rogero, who wrote an article for the publication, Márcia Falcão's paintings highlight the “assertiveness against barbarity” of the original text and “brighten this edition.” Her figurative and expressive style, imbued with a combative gaze against social and gender inequalities, punctuates the reading with intense images that reinforce the connection between the story and contemporary times. Ultimately, Machado exposes forms of violence that persist well into the 21st century.