A Parábola do Progresso: SESC Pompéia
Current exhibition
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Overview
Installation view: A Parábola do Progresso, SECS Pompéia, 2022. Photo: Ding Musa
Marcía Falcão's group exhibition A Parábola do Progresso, at SESC Pompéia, São Paulo, Brazil.
The institution's press release follows:
The exhibition reflects on the country's ideals of modernity and independence, seeking inclusive and diverse projects. Organized into five "dialogic territories," it showcases a commitment to uniting social forces within environments that are welcoming to their communities. This initiative marks the 40th anniversary of the center—opened in 1982 as a hub for culture, leisure, social well-being, and health—and seeks to reclaim these qualities and values amidst today's global dystopia.The anniversary also coincides with the bicentennial of Brazil’s Independence (1822) and the centenary of the São Paulo Modern Art Week (1922)—two historical milestones that shape the project’s conception as part of Sesc São Paulo’s "Diversos 22" program. The curatorial team is led by critic Lisette Lagnado, alongside associate curators André Pitol and Yudi Rafael.Aiming to discuss Lina Bo Bardi’s legacy regarding Sesc Pompeia—one of the city’s most vibrant architectural icons—the curatorial team introduces additional references to add layers of lived experience and social engagement to the project. Consequently, five "dialogic spaces" participate in the exhibition, each with its own unique character: Acervo da Laje (Salvador, Bahia), Aldeia Kalipety (São Paulo, São Paulo), Casa do Povo (São Paulo, São Paulo), Quilombo Santa Rosa dos Pretos (Itapecuru Mirim, Maranhão), and Savvy Contemporary – the Laboratory of form-ideas (Berlin, Germany).In contrast to authoritarian and demagogic trends, however, various social forces have managed to organize and create spaces of hospitality capable of supporting their communities. By skillfully integrating cultural production with a perspective of care, raising awareness, and fostering social interaction, these five gathering hubs—now established within the Sesc Pompeia Social Space—reinforce its transformation into a "citadel." They expand upon the vision Sesc São Paulo held when it invited Lina Bo Bardi and her team to restore the former industrial drum factory: "to build a different reality." They operate as conduits of hope within the parable of Positivism—a narrative used to illustrate the mythic identity of this "country of the future." This narrative spans from its colonial origins and the Afro-Atlantic slave trade through the various migratory flows that shaped the idyllic image of a hospitable nation—a land blessed with lush nature and a people whose generosity and emotional openness stemmed from finding happiness in the blending of their roots. While Lina Bo Bardi’s work is renowned for championing popular culture, it is also taking on new nuances today in the wake of decolonial studies that focus on recognizing varying degrees of extractivism and the silencing of voices. -
Artists
