(Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Frevo, “brega” and Brazilian gospel music are the new cultural aspects from the northeastern Brazil that are being presented in Amsterdam. Bárbara Wagner & Benjamin de Burca show until June 16th a video triptych at the Stedelijk Museum under the title YOU ARE SEEING THINGS: Faz Que vai / Set To Go (2015), Estás Vendo Coisas / You Are Seeing Things (2016) and Terremoto Santo / Holy Tremor (2017).
As a window to Latin culture, the films – a mixture of fiction and documentary – show music, dialogue and dance that represent Brazilian popular culture between ‘class, gender, race, religion and economy’. Mostly descendent of Africans, the northeastern population mixtures traditional African cultural elements – such as capoeira – with mainstream commercial products.
Municipal curator Martijn van Nieuwenhuyzen says: “In the light of the current political climate in Brazil, the work of Wagner & De Burca receives an unexpected urgency. The policy of the new government has far-reaching consequences for the position of people of colour, favela residents, LGBT people and other vulnerable groups. Wagner & De Burca’s work focuses on the culture of precisely these people – it is created in close collaboration with these groups. ”
This year, Bárbara Wagner (2017 PIPA Prize winner) and Benjamin de Burca are the Brazilian entry to Venice Biennale.
YOU ARE SEEING THINGS, individual of the duo Bárbara Wagner & Benjamin de Burca
Curated by Martijn van Nieuwenhuyzen
From March 16th to June 16th, 2019
Stedelijk Museum
Museumplein 10, 1071 DJ Amsterdam, Netherlands
Opening hours: Daily, 10 am – 6 pm; Friday: 10 am – 10 pm
