(NY, USA and Online)
The fantasy that Brazil’s territories and women are prime for exploitation has been promoted from the moment of colonization, through 20th century tourism, even to political speeches of today. The result has cemented a stereotype that incites violence against and sexualization of Brazilian women—both at home, and around the world; today, Brazil has one of the highest rates of murder and rape of women and trans people, and in places like London, 80% of Brazilian women fall victim to domestic violence.
The exhibition Oh, I Love Brazilian Women! presents works by twelve artists who critique this image of eroticized beauty and its dangerous outcomes. Examining the colonial and biological origins of harmful stereotypes that disproportionately affect Black and Indigenous women, and how such tropes are reinforced through Brazil’s national narrative of “racial democratization,” the works on view illustrate the psychological and physical toll of incessant objectification and dehumanization.
Through contemporary art, photography, interventions, and video-performances, selected works delve into the inequalities that women bear in an attempt to transform collective pain into a reassertion of identity and collective liberation.
The 12 participating artists are Benedita Arcoverde, Santarosa Barreto, Lenora de Barros, June Canedo de Souza, Vitória Cribb, Micaela Cyrino, Camilla D’Anunziata, Brenda Nicole, Juliana Manara, Arissana Pataxó, Milena Paulina and Fernanda Sternieri.
To read the full exhibition essay, written by the curator Luiza Testa, click here.
Milena Paulina, “O Grito”, 2019
“Oh, I Love Brazilian Women!”, group show featuring 12 artists
From January 15 until March 12, 2022
Apexart
291 Church Street, NYC, and 3D Online
Visits: Tues. – Sat, 11am – 6pm
Email: info@apexart.org
Phone number: +1-212-431-5270
Instagram Live Sneak Peak: January 14, 5:15pm EST on @apexartnyc
Opening Saturday: January 15, with curator present
Online Curatorial Tour: January 15, 1:00pm EST