Entre Pindorama – Contemporary Brasilian art and Antropofagia strategies
Efrain Almeida, Ricardo Basbaum, Lucia Koch, Chaia Lia, Flores Lívia, Joâo Modé
„Pindorama“ this is how the indigenous population of Brasil calls its country – „country of palm trees“. “Entre” is an invitation to enter, to get to know a culture that is extremely various – a second meaning of “entre” is “in between”.
Entre Pindorama is an exhibition and events project that was developed in collaboration with Brasilian artist and dramaturg Giorgio Ronna. It gives insight into different positions of contemporary Brasilian art and deals with the ideas of Antropofagia, a cultural movement of Brasilian modernism that is still relevant today. The strategy of Antropofagia, translated “anthropophagy“, means cultural appropriation: Alien elements are “swallowed” and become part of one’s own identity in terms of cultural renewal. The approach encourages assimilation instead of rejection and by that offers a chance to overcome isolations and hierarchies.
Entre Pindorama takes up these ideas to examine their topicality and transferability. The project isn’t yet another exotic perspective on the Latinamerican country but an invitation to rethink cultural habits.
The exhibition at Künstlerhaus exhibits six positions of contemporary art from Brasil. Joâo Modé takes the project into public space: He will realize his participative project on a marketplace in Stuttgart.
Ricardo Basbaum’s workshop deals with current creative approaches and performative strategies to represent the social system of “Me and You”.
The talk series Antropofagia – Gestern und Morgen (Antropofagia – Yesterday and Today) is organized as a two-day public seminar. Artists, scientists and activists introduce ideas and strategies of Antropofagia and discuss their topicality.
Another event within the Entre Pindorama project deals with the construction of cultural identity and possible interactions with “the other”. The event is organized in collaboration with IZKT (International Center for Culture and Technology Research at University Stuttgart).
The film program Invention & Subversion offer insight into the innovative filmmaking in Brasil from 1931 until today. It is screened at Communal cinema Stuttgart.
Finally, the project is rounded off with the most current and controversial form of Antropofagia: The Brasilian hip hop movement. The northern American version of hip hop culture is literally being “swallowed” in Brasil with very different results. One example is MC Tati, a leading female artist of her genre, who will get on stage at Ladyfest Esslingen.