Glicéria Tupinambá is set to represent Brazil at the 2024 Venice Biennale, marking a historic occasion as the first Indigenous artist to present a solo exhibition in the country's pavilion.
This exhibition space, traditionally known as the Brazilian Pavilion, has been renamed for this edition as the Hãhãwpuá Pavilion. The name is derived from the word used by the Pataxó people to refer to the territory now recognized as Brazil prior to its colonization by the Portuguese. It's worth noting that the announcement for the pavilion acknowledged that the territory "has had many other names" over time.
This renaming of the pavilion aligns with a similar approach taken in 2022 for the Nordic Pavilion, an exhibition space shared by Norway, Sweden, and Finland at the Biennale. In that instance, the pavilion was exclusively dedicated to Sámi artists and was renamed accordingly to reflect this focus.
While Glicéria is the first artist to have sole credit for the pavilion, it's worth noting that she is not the initial Indigenous artist to exhibit at the Brazilian Pavilion. Another Indigenous artist, Chico da Silva, a painter born to an Indigenous Peruvian mother and a Brazilian father, had the distinction of being featured in the 1966 Brazilian Pavilion.
In a parallel milestone, the Hãhãwpuá Pavilion mirrors a significant development occurring at the United States Pavilion. There, Jeffrey Gibson, a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians with Cherokee heritage, will become the first Indigenous artist to represent the United States in a solo capacity.
Glicéria, a member of the Tupinambá people, will present an exhibition titled "Ka’a Pûera: we are walking birds." This title references the capoeira, a bird known for its ability to camouflage itself in the cherished forests of the Tupinambá. Unfortunately, these same forests are under threat from corporate interests seeking to repurpose them for agricultural purposes, a cause that Glicéria has been actively and vocally opposing.
In Brazil, Glicéria is renowned both as an artist and an activist. In 2010, she made headlines when she was detained, along with her baby, for a period of two months after bravely speaking out against instances of police brutality, sparking widespread concern among human rights organizations. Her primary focus lies in the preservation of Tupinambá culture, and she effectively employs her films as tools in her advocacy. One of her works, currently displayed at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo, delves into the significance of cloaks in Tupinambá culture.
For her Venice Biennale presentation, Glicéria's curation will be overseen by Arissana Pataxó, Denilson Baniwa, and Gustavo Caboco Wapichana.
In a statement, the curators emphasized that the pavilion's theme revolves around the idea "that we remember those who are on the margins, deterritorialized, made invisible, imprisoned, and whose territorial rights have been violated, but who call us to resistance, believing that we are human-birds-memory-nature because there is always the possibility of resurgence and resistance."
While Glicéria will receive official credit for the pavilion, she will extend invitations to other members of her Tupinambá community to collaborate with her on this endeavor. The specific Tupinambá participants who will be involved have not yet been announced.
Selena Mattei