Queermuseum is back.
Representing the work of more than 80 artists, this exhibition was originally on display at Santander Cultural in Porto Alegre last fall. Despite its complex treatment of gender expression, identity, and diversity, the exhibition became the target of attacks by fringe rightwing extremists who asserted that the art made apology to pedophilia, bestiality, and the debasing of religious imagery. Santander chose to prematurely shut down the exhibition in what curator Gaudêncio Fidelis calls an act of censorship.
Check out Artememoria’s interview with Gaudêncio Fidelis to read more about the censorship of Queermuseum and the ways in which the saga relates to Brazil’s history of authoritarianism.
But the art world was resilient. After receiving more than one million reais in donations, Queermuseum reopened on August 18, 2018 at the Parque Lage School for Visual Arts in Rio de Janeiro. Throngs of visitors attended the opening, waiting for hours to see the artwork. Only a small handful of rightwing protesters were present.
In its new iteration, Queermuseum is free and open to the public. The exhibition is now accompanied by panel discussions on issues related to the exhibition’s closure, including topics such as fake news, censorship in the arts, queer identities, and more. A full agenda of events can be found here.
Curious about the opening? Here are photos from Queemuseum‘s first day in Rio, as well as some of the standout pieces from the exhibition:
Performance by Baque Mulher before the exhibition opening.
Photo by Artememoria.
Parque Lage during Queermuseum's official opening.
Photo by Gabi Carrera. Used with permission.
Curator Gaudêncio Fidelis (right) opens the door to Queermuseum.
Photo by Gabi Carrera. Used with permission.
Queermuseum on display at Parque Lage in Rio de Janeiro
Photo by Gabi Carrera. Used with permission.
Sculpture entitled "O Canibal" by Ana Norogrando. On display now at Parque Lage.
Photo by Carlos Stein and Fabio del Re (VivaFoto). Used with permission.
"Is a Feeling" by Cibelle Cavalli Batos.
Photo by Mendes Wood DM. Used with permission.
"Cruzando Jesus Cristo Deusa Schiva" by Fernando Baril, one of the controversial artworks included in Queermuseum.
Photo by Zago/StudioZ. Used with permission.
"República" by Amorim. The collage comments on some of the same aspects of Brazilian society that led to the censorship of Queermuseum last fall.
Photo by Amorim. Used with permission.
For more in-depth coverage of Queemuseum at Parque Lage in Rio, check out História da Ditadura’s interview with Queermuseum curator Gaudêncio Fidelis and the School of Visual Arts in Parque Lage’s curator Ulisses Carrilho.
Queermuseum will be on display at Parque Lage through September 18.